Oped: UPC unleashes “Part B violence” in Lira City

By Odongo Lango | During the 2021 elections, radio journalist Sam Brunos Aliga, then working for Voice of Lango, was violently abducted from the studio where he was reading news by alleged UPC goons, beaten and dumped in the dead of the night.

The grievance of UPC was that Aliga was giving critical coverage of the UPC candidate, Jimmy Akena, then vying for Lira City East constituency. No charges were pressed against the perpetrators.

Now, UPC is doing section B in their proven tactics of intimidation through violence. Popular Unity FM news and talk show host Bob Oyuku Ojok, who was named by Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Diane Atwine as the best LC chairman in responding to Covid-19, was severely assaulted by UPC stalwarts on the campaign trail for Betty Amongi, the embattled Gender Minister.

President Museveni has accused the Gender Minister of presiding over a regime of “ujinga” or foolishness for mismanaging the multi-billion dollar GROW project.

Bob Oyuku Ojok had, on the morning of November 20, 2025, hosted a highly charged interview with Jimmy Akena, the former first son. The interview was a washout for Jimmy Akena, a man harbouring private grievances, seeking public sympathy.

Listeners called out Akena for preaching water while drinking wine. His wife, Betty Amongi is a cabinet minister in the NRM government. UPC is joined at the hip to NRM.

Irate UPC street lumpens, angered by the tough questions Oyuku asked Akena, attempted to lynch the poor man, while only doing his job: carrying a camera and microphone.

And this is not the first time UPC has employed violence as a political tool. UPC was accused of employing violence in the highly contested 1980 elections.

The use of violence was so brazen that the late President Obote haughtily asked DP’s Paulo Ssemogerere, “Where are your generals”? This was implying that DP lacked the “muscles” that UPC had. But of course, we all know how this movie ended: cold and lonely exile in Zambia.

Using brawn, rather than brains, seems like a quick fix. But it’s not sustainable and effective in the long term. It’s against the law of the land. It makes you look stupid. It must be condemned by all stakeholders. It leads to a spiral of violence. And this is a culture we can’t accept.

In the final analysis, politics is really a contest of ideas. The person with superior ideas should win. So far, UPC, at least in Lira City, is suffering from a deficiency of ideas, and that’s why they would rather play rugby!

With no track record to run on, and having no path to victory, Betty Amongi is going native. This must not be surprising given her history of vulgarity, crudeness and immodest behaviour in public office.