Hundreds of supporters of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) gathered on Friday in Abeibutu Cell, Akokoro Town Council in Apac District to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of the party’s founding leader, Apollo Milton Obote, and to recommit to his political vision.
Obote, Uganda’s first prime minister who later served two terms as president and led the country to independence in 1962, died on October 10, 2005, and was buried on October 28, 2005, in his ancestral home in Akokoro.
Friday’s memorial drew senior UPC figures, clergy and local leaders who reflected on his lasting influence amid sharp divisions inside the party and the wider opposition.
Bishop emeritus of Lango Diocese, Rt Rev John Charles Odur Kami, praised Obote’s leadership, saying it ‘shaped Uganda’s early years and left a lasting legacy.’
His counterpart, Bishop emeritus Alfred Acur of West Lango Diocese, prayed for continuity in the Obote family line.
‘I can prophesize that the family of Dr Apollo Milton Obote is never going to perish,’ he said, adding: ‘Leadership is going to continue rising from his sons, children and great grandchildren.’
Jimmy Akena Obote, the late president’s son and current UPC president, used the anniversary to lash out at his exclusion from the forthcoming 2026 presidential race, while urging party unity.
Akena, who was disqualified by the Electoral Commission following a court block, told supporters that UPC remained an unbreakable idea.
‘The time for change is now,’ Akena said, emphasizing that: ‘I have not blinked, I have not turned, I am not going to go anywhere. the idea still lives because UPC is an idea; you cannot bury UPC.’
He vowed to keep campaigning despite his unsuccessful bid for presidency.
‘Whether you want me on the ballot or not, I am fighting that election.. I am going to fight that election,’ he told the gathering.
The gathering also carried gestures of reconciliation and cross-party respect. Jaffar Amin, son of former president Idi Amin, paid tribute to Obote’s family and invoked a spiritual metaphor.
‘Everyone will always show respect to Obote’s family,’ he said, noting that: ‘The olive oil that was pressed by mud has risen to the top of the water. However much dirt and mud you press on olive oil, it rises to the surface.’
Mama Miria Obote, the widow, thanked attendees for turning up to remember her husband and urged UPC members to keep the party alive.
‘Please, don’t let the party die. Don’t allow UPC to die,’ she said, recalling her health struggles but expressing gratitude for the turnout.
Yet, the event also exposed internal rifts. Peter Ocen, MP for Kole South, warned of ‘snakes and cockroaches inside our house,’ blaming internal saboteurs for the party’s troubles.
Geoffrey Ocen, the Amolatar LC5 chairman, said Akena should lead decisively even if he remains barred from the ballot.
The anniversary came as UPC sought to revive its relevance in a political landscape dominated for nearly four decades by President Museveni, amid the rise of new youth movements and opposition forces.
As the sun set over Apac, songs, prayers and vows of renewal closed a day of remembrance that doubled as a rallying cry – a reminder that for UPC, Obote’s memory remains both a political touchstone and a call to action.