By Aggrey Baba
Hon Jimmy Akena, the UPC president has launched an attack on Uganda’s succession politics, accusing the NRM of sacrificing the future of millions of children while allowing debates about President Yoweri Museveni and his son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba to dominate the national agenda.
Akena says Uganda is behaving as though the biggest national emergency is deciding who should inherit political power, yet approximately one in four children below five years is reportedly suffering from stunting and malnutrition.
He has questioned the morality of a political establishment that can spend days debating individual ambitions but appears unwilling to confront the suffering of children whose future is being destroyed before they even get an opportunity to participate in the country’s development.
“How do we talk about the future of Uganda and we cannot talk about the future of those who should be the ones taking Uganda forward?” he asked.
Addressing journalists at UPC headquarters on Wednesday, Akena said he had repeatedly raised the alarm about child malnutrition but was frustrated by the apparent lack of political interest in addressing the crisis.
He argued that Uganda’s political debate has abandoned the issues that matter most to ordinary citizens, turning national politics into a contest over personalities and individual ambitions.
The UPC president specifically challenged the excessive attention surrounding Muhoozi and his father, insisting that Uganda’s approximately 50 million people cannot be expected to suspend their national concerns because of the political interests of one family.
“All Uganda cannot be held hostage by somebody called Kainerugaba and his father. No. We’re 50 million,” he thundered.
Akena said anybody who wants to become president is free to pursue that ambition through established political processes, but should not expect the entire country to revolve around their personal political calculations.
He questioned why Ugandans should remain preoccupied with succession maneuvers when children are growing up malnourished and the country’s social services are struggling.
The UPC boss said he was not interested in political contests that offer nothing to the children whose lives are being shaped by the decisions of today’s selfish leaders.
He also accused the authorities of creating an environment in which opposition politicians are expected to submit quietly instead of questioning government failures.
“You cannot stop us from talking. You cannot be harassing all political players and they want submission quietly. I will not go quietly,” he warned.
Akena said Uganda’s future cannot be secured through succession politics while the children expected to inherit the country are being denied proper nutrition, education and healthcare.
He challenged political leaders to explain what kind of country they intend to hand over to the next generation if they cannot guarantee children the basic conditions necessary for their survival and development.
The malnutrition crisis, Akena said should be a national political priority, not an inconvenient subject that disappears whenever the country’s powerful persons dominate the headlines. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
