Besigye party PFF backs ex-army chief Muntu for presidency

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The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) party has announced that newly formed People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) party will back its presidential candidate, former Uganda army chief Maj. Gen. (rtd) Mugisha Muntu up through the 2026 General Election.

ANT announced this in the “breaking news” via its X, formerly Twitter, handle on September 15, 2025.

“The Opposition political party People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) will back up Gen. Mugisha Muntu for presidency in the next general elections,” it said.

In July this year, ANT joined forces with PFF to strengthen their chances of success in next year’s elections.

Its leader, Muntu, who is making a second presidential attempt on its ticket, has since been gracing PFF events in some parts of the country in preparation for the 2026 elections.

PFF was officially inaugurated as a new political party on July 8, 2025, with its jailed kingpin, Dr Kizza Besigye, delivering a recorded keynote address.

Besigye’s incarceration for over 300 days now has dealt a severe blow to hopes of him making a fifth presidential attempt or drumming up support for PFF ahead of the 2026 polls.

On March 18, 2025, Muntu, Uganda’s longest-serving army commander, said he did not want to just “pop up on the ballot” in the next election because it has many challenges.

He made the remarks after a supporter on X, formerly Twitter, urged him to appear on the 2026 ballot since Uganda needed him for the “big shift” of political transition.

Muntu, who performed dismally in the 2021 presidential election after polling 67,574 votes (0.65%), told his supporter, Gratian Nareebah, that there was also a need to focus heavily on party organisational work.

He explained that this involves brand building, communications, fundraising, candidate selection and preparation, among other tasks.

“Just popping up on the ballot alone has its many challenges. The reason why we are currently focusing on organisational work,” he said.

Over 207 presidential aspirants have so far picked forms from the Electoral Commission headquarters in Kampala in an exercise that will end on September 24.

Eleven of the aspirants are from political parties while the rest are independents.

The political parties are; the ruling National Resistance Movement, National Unity Platform, People's Progressive Party, Democratic party, Uganda People's Congress, National Economic Empowerment Dialogue, Common Man's party, Conservative Party, Ecological Party of Uganda and Forum for Democratic Change.