Amongi’s fall from grace tests UPC-NRM alliance

Former Gender minister and Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) stalwart Betty Amongi is among those who were dropped from their ministerial positions in the Cabinet reshuffle that was announced on Tuesday last week. Her dismissal, however, came as a surprise to many people since she was seemingly one of President Museveni’s trusted ministers and held several ministerial dockets. But some critics said they had warned her and several others from the Opposition, who were hobnobbing with the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party that they risked being used and dumped.

The former Oyam South Member of Parliament, who is also the wife of the UPC president, Mr Jimmy Akena Obote, served as the minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development (2016 to 2019) and minister of Kampala Capital City Metropolitan Affairs (2019–2021) before being posted to lead the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development, where she served until May 26, 2026.

The relation between President Museveni and Akena and his wife was considered very cordial to the extent that when Mr Akena married Ms Amongi on April 7, 2013, President Museveni reportedly contributed Shs50 million towards the ceremony. Mr Akena married Ms Amongi at a colourful ceremony held at Minakulu Primary School, Minakulu Sub-county in Oyam District. President Museveni was the chief guest at the ceremony, which was attended by many dignitaries.

Mr Akena reportedly paid a bride price of 20 heads of cattle, Shs20 million and 12 goats. Also, back in 2015, Mr Museveni revealed that Akena's UPC faction was close to forming an alliance with the NRM party. According to Mr Jimmy Awany, a UPC supporter in Lira City and a friend of Mr Akena, after the agreement was sealed, Mr Akena, a son of former President Milton Obote, urged his supporters to vote for Mr Museveni in the 2011, 2016 and 2021 elections. However, things fell apart in the build-up to the 2026 General Election, with Mr Akena joining the race for the presidency.

The Electoral Commission eventually disqualified him from the race. His wife, Ms Amongi, also abandoned her home county of Oyam South and relocated to Lira City where she contested against NRM’s Dr Jane Ruth Aceng in the race for the Lira City Woman MP seat. However, she lost the race. Ms Amongi polled 26,199 votes against Dr Aceng's 38,074 votes, according to data from the Electoral Commission. On the streets of Lira City, some people are now questioning if Ms Amongi is a victim of the Akena-Museveni sweet-bitter relationship? In the new Cabinet, UPC’s Santa Alum, the Oyam South Member of Parliament, was been appointed as State minister for Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President.

Mr Akena, however, said UPC party was not consulted in regard to Ms Alum’s appointment. UPC said in a statement that Ms Alum’s acceptance of the appointment would be regarded as an individual decision, and not a position taken by the party. “UPC further clarifies that while the party has submitted a proposed framework for possible future structured political engagement and discussions with the National Resistance Movement (NRM), no active cooperation agreement, governing arrangement, or formal working partnership presently exists between the two parties,” the statement reads in part. Mr Akena said the proposed framework submitted by UPC is subject to discussion, consultation, mutual agreement, and the resolution of outstanding issues identified by the party as necessary prerequisites for trust and meaningful engagement.

“UPC, therefore, remains an independent political party in Opposition, guided by its constitutional structures, principles, and long-standing commitment to constitutionalism, democratic governance, national unity, social justice, and practical people-centred development. “The party will continue advancing its own political and policy positions through Parliament, public engagement, and its broader national structures, while maintaining cordial and constructive working relationships with fellow representatives of the people of Uganda in the 12th Parliament across the political divide,” he said. Mr Jacob Ocen, the NRM spokesperson in Lango Sub-region, said the party’s leaders cannot transact any political and governance-related businesses with Mr Akena’s UPC faction because “they do not honour agreements.’’

“First of all, during and after the elections, there were some UPC factions President Museveni was calling ‘UPC Museveni’ and ‘UPC Akena’. UPC Akena was a defiant faction who were saying don’t vote for Museveni and UPC Museveni were campaigning for Museveni,” he told Daily Monitor last Thursday. The team of “UPC Museveni” included among others, Ms Alum, now appointed State minister for Economic Monitoring, and Mr Chris Ongom, a former UPC regional vice chairperson for Lango Sub-region. “When you look at the current situation, it means Museveni has shifted allegiance from Akena by opening a new chapter of dealing with UPC,” Mr Ocen explained, adding: “Akena said in a statement that they were not consulted on the appointment of Santa Alum, yet according to NRM, they were no longer relevant.

This means they’re completely out of the alliance.” Ms Amongi recently expressed gratitude to the people of Lira City for their support, while also alluding to the alleged political interference that characterised that election. “I assure them of my continued commitment to working with the people, listening to them, standing with them, and pursuing the vision we have consistently shared,” she said. The former Gender minister added: “However, politics has a way of teaching difficult lessons: the impunity and undemocratic methods used against opponents can, in time, return to haunt them. That is a lesson all politicians should reflect upon.’’

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