By Mulengera Reporters
Former Ugandan President Milton Obote’s son, Jimmy Akena, on Wednesday reluctantly commented about what he called ‘a comedy show’ that was last week staged at Gen MK’s PLU offices in Nakasero by the CDF’s Executive Assistant David Kabanda.
Akena, who deliberately avoided uttering out Gen MK’s name ostensibly for fear of being taken to the basement, said that he didn’t feel obliged to respond much to what was said because he has extreme contempt for the Omutume David Kabanda, the messenger, through whom the CDF spoke that day. See full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg49dQuVlxY&t=513s.
Renowned for taking no prisoners, Kabanda had no kind words for both Akena and his wife Betty Among, who until two months ago was a senior Minister in Gen Museveni’s government.
Kabanda asserted that Betty Amongi had committed acts of corruption for the period (2016-2026) she served as a Minister in Museveni’s government.
He claimed that she was being investigated to establish how she came to own prime plots of land in Kampala among other forms of irregular conduct. He signaled that the UPC First Lady could be the next one to be in the hot seat after Anita Among and other top officials at Parliament.
He also attacked Akena declaring him an illegal UPC President who PLU won’t hesitate ousting from his Uganda House offices if he doesn’t stop bad mouthing Gen MK.
Akena had days earlier been very outspoken against Gen MK while implicating him in human rights violations. With the Semujju Ngandas gone, Bobi Wine on the run and Erias Lukwago in prison, Akena had actually remained one of the few very fearless opposition politicians who still could call out the President’s son. Naturally, this made him a perfect target for Kabanda and other MK enablers in the PLU universe.
AKENA RESPONDS:
During the Wednesday news conference at Uganda House, it was clear that Akena was hurting over what was said about him at the PLU Nakasero offices earlier. He indicated that there was no need to go after him personally and his wife Betty Amongi as well.
Instead, he demanded to have a public debate on policy issues with Gen MK who he advised to man up and go face him personally (man to man) instead of going through David Kabanda who he said doesn’t merit a direct response from him.
He said what he wants is a brainy debate with Gen MK on how to make ordinary Ugandans’ life better as opposed to being subjected to a ‘comedy show’ which he accused Kabanda of staging last week.
Akena said he has very good policy arguments on the economy, public health and many other things which he would like to debate directly with Gen MK or any other person from the Museveni side, on a public forum.
He said he wants Ugandans to leverage such a public debate to judge for themselves who between UPC and the NRM or PLU has the best policy agenda for the country.
He challenged Gen MK to dare meet him publicly and say all he sees that makes him unfit to be UPC/Uganda President instead of hiding behind Kabanda.
Akena also said he was not scared of threats by the PLU leadership to pay Shs4m and proceed to kick him out of UPC top leadership. He said such threats are aimed at cowing him into silence but those behind it will die in their movie.
He said he doesn’t intend to keep quiet and stop being a voice for millions of voiceless Ugandans who he said have currently been cowed into oblivion.
He also dismissed PLU’s claim that his dad Obote was responsible for the 0.5m Ugandans alleged to have lost their life during the 1981-1986 Luwero triangle war. He said such are nothing but mere comical claims.
He said he has records of President Museveni, who led the Luwero bush war, publicly and consistently asserting that around 75,000 died in that war, which means that Kabanda’s figure of 0.5m lives being lost can’t be true.
Instead, Akena called on PLU leaders to be mad at Museveni’s NRM under whose 40-year rule, he claimed millions of Uganda’s children had become malnourished and made to die due to the government’s failure to address food security and welfare concerns.
He also called upon PLU leaders to judge and discuss his track record as Jimmy Akena, since he is an adult and a leader in his own right, instead of basing on his father’s record for the 13 years he served as President, to write him off.
He said its laughable that PLU leaders want to blame their patriarch Gen YK Museveni’s failure to transform Uganda, after being President for almost five decades, on Milton Obote who ceased to be President of Uganda more than 40 years ago. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
