17/November/2025
LCCTV NEWS
LIRA CITY – The Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Hon. Betty Amongi, has publicly and firmly dismissed widespread speculation regarding the state of her marriage to Lira City MP, Hon. Jimmy Akena, describing the rumours as baseless and malicious.
The minister’s rebuttal comes amid growing whispers in political and social circles about an alleged rift between the high-profile power couple.
Speaking exclusively to this publication at a charity event in Lira city on Monday, Amongi addressed the allegations head-on. “My family life is not a subject for public gossip,” she stated, her tone a blend of defiance and dismissal. “The stories being peddled about my relationship with my husband are false, fabricated, and are being spread by individuals with ill intentions to distract us from our work for the people of Uganda.”
Hon. Amongi, who is also the Oyam District Woman MP, emphasized that her focus remains on her ministerial duties and constituency service, not on engaging with salacious rumours. She urged the public and media to respect their family’s privacy.
“The people of Lira city and the beneficiaries of our government’s programmes are interested in service delivery, not in the fictional dramas being created about my private life,” she added.
Her husband, Hon. Jimmy Akena, who leads the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party, has yet to make a public statement on the matter. Political observers have long noted the couple as one of the most influential in Ugandan politics, with their relationship often under intense public scrutiny.
The rumours of a strained relationship have been a topic of discussion on social media and in local gossip columns for several weeks, though no concrete evidence has been presented to support the claims.
Until a joint public appearance or a statement from Hon. Akena is made, the public discourse is likely to continue. For now, Hon. Betty Amongi has drawn a firm line, attempting to shut down the narrative and refocus attention on her political portfolio.
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