A new faction led by a group of enthusiastic members of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has emerged, claiming they want to panel-beat a more than half-a- century old party to its former glory.
The “UPC Dream Team” say they are a group of like-minded members, friends and UPC supporters, who feel bothered about the continuous acrimonies within UPC, and are seriously concerned about the state in which the party is trapped. In the medium term, they say they want to put UPC back to the position it is supposed to occupy; contesting for power and ensure that the party regains its glory and return to the limelight as a serious contender in national politics.
According to the National Coordinator UPC Dream Team Dr. Robert Omongin Odeke, they recognize that UPC members have been in quarrels long enough, and insulted each other enough, while other political parties are growing. They say this is a betrayal of the fundamental dreams of the founders of UPC.
Dr. Odeke said, as UPC celebrates its 60th Anniversary on 9th March this year, it will be a disgrace to fold arms and see their party in helpless condition, unable to field candidates in most elective positions in the forthcoming 2021 general elections.
“As we were all engrossed in these fights, UPC is terribly bleeding, our adversaries are gaining ground, and social services in the country are collapsing!” He said. Odeke says all the bad governments in Uganda including National Resistance Movement (NRM) have survived, and may continue to be around, as long as UPC is still in this predicament.
He however says they are not another faction within UPC, are not aligned to any of the factions, and don’t intend to fight anyone who professes the ideology of UPC. The shall not isolate anybody, and will not discourage anyone from his or her choice until such a time when their colleagues feel UPC should live the dreams of its founding fathers. There are several factions in UPC with each aligned to a different leadership.
Dr. Odeke said UPC is the only tested moderator of national conversation especially on matters of nation building and national unity. He says he and his team’s main purpose is reinforcing the different energies, organizing and redirecting them towards mobilizing, training, fielding and supporting candidates in all elective positions from the lowest to the highest office during the forthcoming 2021 general elections.
The members appealed to supporters and well-wishers both in Uganda and in the diaspora, to join to rebuild UPC by buying party cards, helping in opening party branches, and registering as voters in their respective constituencies. They also appealed to their membership to contest for elective offices, identify with UPC, providing financial support as well as preaching the gospel of UPC including its values, ideology and objectives to other people.