By Chowoo Willy | June 30, 2025
GULU CITY — Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) President, Gen. Mugisha Muntu, has warned that Uganda is sitting on a political and economic time bomb unless citizens urgently elect leaders with integrity and values.
Speaking to residents of Alokolum ward in Gulu City, Acholiland over the weekend, Muntu delivered a strong message against political manipulation, corruption, and vote-buying. He said Uganda’s problems, ranging from poverty and land fragmentation to unemployment, cannot be solved without honest and accountable leadership at all levels.
“When you elect corrupt leaders, you will reap corruption. But if you elect honest leaders, you will harvest dignity, justice, and progress,” Muntu declared to applause.
He lamented that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has perfected the art of targeting and compromising leaders, leaving citizens voiceless and communities vulnerable.
“They use money, power, and positions to collapse weak leaders,” he said. “Once that happens, there’s no one left to speak for the people. The regime continues unchallenged, and citizens are left in frustration.”
Muntu decried the increasing culture of vote-buying, where impoverished voters sell their ballots for as little as UGX 2,000 during election season. He warned that such acts only prolong suffering.
“People who give you money during campaigns never return. For five years, you are forgotten,” he said. “That’s not politics—it’s betrayal.”
He encouraged Acholi residents to take advantage of their still-abundant land resources and use the next election as a turning point to elect leaders who will protect communal interests. He contrasted this with regions like Ankole and Buganda, where most families survive on less than two acres of land, making mechanized farming and wealth creation nearly impossible.
“Here in Acholiland, you still have land that is flat, fertile, and can be mechanized,” he said. “This is your opportunity to elect leaders who can work with the central government to invest in agriculture, youth employment, and infrastructure.”
ANT Flag Bearer Pledges to Reunite Divided Acholi Leadership
In a related development, Gen. Muntu urged the people of Acholi to vote for Robert Mugabe, describing him as a capable leader whose integrity and vision are urgently needed to safeguard the region’s interests during this critical time..
Robert Mugabe, the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) flag bearer for Bardege-Layibi Constituency, has pledged to restore unity among political leaders in the Acholi sub-region if elected in the 2026 general elections.
“The Acholi sub-region has suffered from divided leadership for too long. If given the mandate, I will work to bring together all leaders—regardless of party or background—to speak with one voice on issues affecting our people,” Mugabe said during a campaign mobilization in Gulu City.
His remarks come against the backdrop of a dormant Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG), an association meant to unify Members of Parliament from the region across political divides. The group has reportedly been non-functional for the past two years, largely due to internal conflicts and disunity among the current MPs.
Mugabe noted that without a strong, united voice in Parliament, the region risks missing out on critical national programs and investments.
“We must revive APG and restore Acholi’s collective bargaining power. Fragmentation has only deepened our challenges in post-war recovery, infrastructure development, and land protection,” he added.
His message aligns with Gen. Muntu’s broader call for ethical, people-centered leadership and inter-regional cooperation aimed at long-term national cohesion and prosperity.
ANT Flag Bearer Pledges to Reunite Divided Acholi Leadership
In a related development, Robert Mugabe, the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) flag bearer for Bardege-Layibi Constituency, has pledged to restore unity among political leaders in the Acholi sub-region if elected in the 2026 general elections.
“The Acholi sub-region has suffered from divided leadership for too long. If given the mandate, I will work to bring together all leaders—regardless of party or background—to speak with one voice on issues affecting our people,” Mugabe said during a campaign mobilization in Gulu City.
His remarks come against the backdrop of a dormant Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG), an association meant to unify Members of Parliament from the region across political divides. The group has reportedly been non-functional for the past two years, largely due to internal conflicts and disunity among the current MPs.
Mugabe noted that without a strong, united voice in Parliament, the region risks missing out on critical national programs and investments.
“We must revive APG and restore Acholi’s collective bargaining power. Fragmentation has only deepened our challenges in post-war recovery, infrastructure development, and land protection,” he added.
His message aligns with Gen. Muntu’s broader call for ethical, people-centered leadership and inter-regional cooperation aimed at long-term national cohesion and prosperity.
broader call for ethical, people-centered leadership and inter-regional cooperation aimed at long-term national cohesion and prosperity.
Call for Inclusive Development
Voicing concern over unequal development across Uganda’s regions, Otto Naptali am elder in Gulu City also weighed in, emphasizing the importance of national unity and balanced investment:
“We want a Uganda where everyone feels a sense of belonging—not a country for one person, where disparities in regional development and wealth persist,” Otto noted.
His comment highlights growing concern in Northern Uganda about the slow pace of post-war reconstruction and uneven public investment.
What is ANT?
The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) is a political party in Uganda founded in 2019 by Gen. Muntu, a former army commander and former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president. The party champions value-based leadership, transparency, and service to citizens, positioning itself as an alternative to the ruling NRM, which has been in power since 1986 under President Yoweri Museveni.
Museveni Picks Nomination Forms, Reaffirms Anti-Corruption Stand
Meanwhile, on the same political stage, President Yoweri Museveni officially picked his nomination forms to contest for a seventh elected term in the 2026 general elections under the NRM banner. Addressing the press at the NRM Secretariat in Kampala, Museveni reiterated that the future of Uganda lies in “electing leaders who uphold the NRM ideology of patriotism, Pan-Africanism, socio-economic transformation, and democracy.”
He emphasized that the NRM government has made progress in infrastructure, security, and economic growth, but acknowledged that corruption and inefficiency at local levels remain serious concerns.
“In this time, I want us really to wipe out corruption, because this corruption should not be there,” Museveni said.
As Uganda heads into the 2026 general elections, Muntu noted that face-changing politics is not enough. “We must also change values,” he said. He urged people across ethnic and religious lines to support honest individuals into public office, whether under ANT or any values-driven political party.
“Every ethnic group and religious denomination has honest men and women. The problem is that most of them fear politics because they cannot bribe voters. But those are the ones who should be in power.”
He disclosed that ANT will release its electoral roadmap between July and August and begin mobilizing for grassroots campaigns by September 2025. While he has not yet declared his own candidacy, Muntu confirmed that he intends to stand but will wait for the party’s internal processes.
Muntu concluded by emphasizing the urgency of building a leadership foundation that can support Uganda’s rapidly growing population. “We are 45 million now, but in 25 years, we’ll be 100 million. Who will feed them? Who will educate them? If we don’t act now, the future will be chaotic.”
“Change is not just about new faces. It’s about new values. Uganda’s future depends on leaders who serve, not those who exploit,” he said.
