ANT and PFF forge alliance as Muntu builds base in Acholi

________________

Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu, president of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), has established a political base in the Acholi sub-region to mobilise support ahead of the 2026 general election.

Speaking to the media at St Monica Girls’ School in Bardege-Layibi division, Gulu city, on Sunday, September 7, Muntu announced ANT’s coalition with the recently formed People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) party.

He stressed that ANT is focused on building and consolidating grassroots leadership structures while also engaging political elites across the country to encourage communities to elect leaders with values and integrity.

Muntu pointed to Uganda’s rich mineral resources, which he said could generate trillions of shillings to improve service delivery. However, he blamed poor leadership—driven by personal gain rather than public interest—for the widespread poverty in the country.

“Taking power is one thing, but managing power is a completely different challenge. We need to seek quality leaders who can create effective systems,” he said.

While acknowledging visible physical changes in Uganda, he emphasised the urgent need to improve the quality of leadership.

“Choose leaders who genuinely care for you. Remember, you reap what you sow; if you plant bitter seeds, you cannot expect to harvest sweet fruits.”

Muntu added that ANT is pursuing alliances with the National Unity Platform and other opposition parties to strengthen the opposition’s capacity to take power.

Betty Aol Ocan, the Gulu city woman MP and vice chairperson of PFF’s northern region, said the alliance would ensure that PFF refrains from fielding candidates in constituencies where ANT has strong contenders, and vice versa.

Robert Mugabe, the joint ANT and PFF candidate for the Bardege-Layibi parliamentary seat, said the alliance aims to consolidate opposition strength even beyond the 2026 elections.

“If we fail to capture power in 2026, we should maintain our alliance as the opposition and keep our supporters engaged until we succeed,” Mugabe said.

He was meeting with his campaign agent from Bardege-Layibi at St Monica to strategise for the coming election.

Mugabe also defended the collaboration with Dr Kizza’s new PFF, noting that both leaders previously belonged to the Forum for Democratic Change but parted ways due to differences in approach—Kizza focused on civil disobedience while Muntu emphasised grassroots mobilisation.

He said they have now chosen to work together to secure more leadership positions nationwide.

Mugabe will face Martin Ojara Mapenduzi, the NRM flagbearer, who recently shifted from being an independent to joining the ruling party.