Museveni has presented us with opportunity for change – Gen Muntu

President Museveni has presented Ugandans with an opportunity for political change in the forthcoming general elections, Maj Gen (Rtd) Mugisha Muntu has said.

Gen Muntu who is the national coordinator for the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), said Uganda is ripe for political change.

“At any one time, God presents you with an opportunity to make a landmark. In 57 years of Uganda’s independence, we have been presented with various opportunities for change. We now have a new opportunity of politically changing Uganda. There is deep desire for change within NRM and opposition forces. We must seize this opportunity,” Muntu told over 100 ANT coordinators in Bunyoro region on Monday at Eka Hotel in Hoima town as he started his regional tours to popularise the party.

The ANT western Uganda regional coordinator Mr Jackson Wabyoona who convened the meeting said the tours are intended to create awareness among leaders about party direction and disseminating core messages, values, and positions of the party.

According to Gen Muntu, Ugandans are ready for a new chapter of governance and want qualitative change in political leadership that will benefit citizens.

He said corruption, injustices, rising crime levels, poverty, governance inconsistencies have frustrated Ugandans who now desire political change.

“It is up to us to position ourselves as a credible alternative for change by building a value-based political party that addresses the welfare of Ugandans,” he said.

While commenting on the recently concluded presidential tours on operation wealth creation programme, Gen Muntu said: “How can you fight crime without adequate funding of technical institutions that are supposed you fight criminality such as police and judiciary? It is a close circuit. We must have a system where criminals do not walk scot free. Once there is a weak link, you can’t fight crime,” he said.

He added that with gaps in the criminal justice system, the security of Ugandans may degenerate.

“Justice is the foundation of peace. You cannot have peace without justice. We should have a system that deters crime so that complainants feel secure and contended,” Gen Muntu said.

He said the presidential tours on operation wealth creation, confirm a breakdown of institutions that are supposed to handle agriculture and wealth creation.

“How can you run a country as an individual running around to give handouts? Where are the ministers and members of parliament in this? He is only exposing himself because he is campaigning for 2021,” Gen Muntu said.

Asked if he will stand for Presidency in 2021, Gen Muntu did not rule it out.

“At the moment we are not focusing on an individual. We have chosen building ANT as an institution from the grassroots up to the national level, attracting more leaders and mobilising resources. If we don’t do that, we can field a candidate who will be left hanging up there without the necessary grassroots infrastructure,” he said.

He said ANT will work with opposition forces to field joint candidates at all levels including at presidency.

“I believe we will field joint candidates. There is need for a coalition,” he said.

Gen Muntu formed the ANT in May this year after quitting Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) where he previously served as President and secretary for national mobilization. 

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