Latest summary: Engena is one of the 10 candidates in the Kawempe North MP byelection.
Bishop Eddy Stanley Engena Maitum [BEE], one of the sons of Uganda People’s Congress [UPC] party founder Dr Apollo Milton Obote, has stated that the people of Lango, particularly Apac Municipality, have “rejected him.”
His statement comes just one day after he lost a parliamentary race for Apac Municipality to UPC candidate Ochan Patrick, with NRM’s Jovino Akaki coming in second. He received only 99 votes, whereas MP elect Patrick Ochan received 6,597 votes.
Engena, who had presented himself as the UPC flag bearer for the race, became frustrated and backed out. He chose an independent ticket.
Speaking exclusively to tndNews on Saturday evening, one of Engena’s former and trusted campaign managers stated that the son of the late two-time president, Obote, felt rejected by his own tribe, Lango.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, our source says that while Bishop lost to the UPC, his mission to make Uganda a better country is far from over.
“They [Lango] have rejected me and Obote,” our source said, quoting Engena, who briefed him Saturday morning.
He continues, “My vision was to use the MP position to advance to the presidency. Even then, I plan to run for president in 2021.”
Bishop Engena, who does not communicate frequently with his younger brother, Lira Municipality MP James Micheal Akena, says his decision to go independent does not mean he is not a UPC supporter.
“I am UPC by blood, not the T-shirts they print. I opted to go as an independent candidate because had seen many [big] problem in the party and I was rejected before,” he says.
“I carry my late father’s legacy with me. “It is inborn,” Bishop Engena added.
According to Engena, through his aide, the Akena-UPC-NRM Alliance will keep his younger brother out of the presidential race in the 2021 general election.
He says that such a disappointing arrangement may prompt him to run for President on the ‘UPC ticket’ in order to complete what his father, Apollo Milton Obote [RIP], left undone.
Engena is a mole in UPC
Jimmy Akena’s aides are accused of saying Engena is a mole in the UPC and thus could not welcome him to hold the party flag.
“He receives funding from the Milton Obote Foundation [MOF]. He’s being backed by Joseph Mbosa’s camp,” his aides told us Saturday.
While such allegations were used to campaign against him, Engena’s aide says Obote’s son is a principled man who must be tested politically.
“With all the allegations from people like Akora, Ebil Ebil Fred and others, Engena used little money and did not bribe voters. He lost,” his aide says.
It’s prime to note that the political fight between Obote’s sons did not start this year, neither from Apac Municipality politics.
In what looks like the Genesis of this political bad game, in 2006 general election, a year after Obote had died and buried in Akokoro, there emerged a political interest from Engena’s deceased wife.
Deborah Gold Maitum sought advice from her elders [Oyima elders] to contest for Lira district woman MP seat.
Among contenders for Lira woman MP seat in 2006 were Ms Rebecca Amuge Otengo [who later won] and Ms Margaret Ateng Otim who lost in 2001 to Ms Otengo now Uganda’s Ambassador in Adis Ababa [Ethiopia].
That year, Jimmy Micheal Akena aka Atin Kic [meaning an orphan] defeated iron lady, Cecelia Babra Atim Ogwal and rendering her jobless for sometime.
Akena trounced Ms Ogwal from Lira Municipality MP chair until Dokolo district became operational and later winning the district Woman MP seat.
For Deborah Engena, it was something her elders who included Akbar Adoko Nekyon [RIP] never endorsed.
“Leave Lira and Lango to Akena. We have many Oyim children doing politics here,” Bishop Engena told this reporter in an interviews in late 2015 when he was preparing for presidency.
“My wife had an intention to represent the people of Lira district [Lango] in parliament but we were not welcomed. Our very own told us leave Lango to Akena,” Mr Maitum said, then.
Even after negotiation and pleading, the Oyima elders could not accept to bless the Engenas, injuring the political interest of Obote’s other blood.
In 2015, after retiring from Gods’ Ministry as Bishop, Engena said God had told him to contest for presidency to salvage Uganda from the current regime.
Slowly but steadily, he obtained a nomination form from Uganda’s Electoral Commission for the 2016 presidential election, but he eventually dropped out.
The decision to take off came after his close family members, including the Oyima clan, refused to endorse and bless his candidature.
Engena was one of ten candidates nominated by the EC last week to succeed Mohammad Ssegirinya. He is an independent candidate in the highly anticipated March 2025 by-election.
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