Gen. Muntu picks forms for second presidential bid

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Maj. Gen. (rtd) Mugisha Muntu has picked nomination forms to contest again for the presidency in the 2026 general election.

This will be Muntu’s second attempt at the country’s highest office on the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) party ticket.

He picked the forms from the Electoral Commission headquarters in Kampala on Thursday (August 21) through former Ugandan ambassador Edith Ssempala, who serves as the party’s head of the Women League.

Muntu now joins a crowded field of 189 presidential aspirants who have so far collected nomination forms in an exercise that will close on September 24, 2025.

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 poorly 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,” Uganda’s longest-ever serving army commander said.

Catherine Namuga, another follower on X, commented that ANT should step up its efforts and that it was “very sad” that Muntu “never gives us morale”.

“Catherine, when we lift, we will soar. You will feel proud of what ANT will do. It will be so self-evident that you will not need to argue with anybody. In the meantime, remain hopeful and be resilient,” he said.

Muntu added that “unfortunately struggles of this nature tend not [to] be like walks in the park”.

He also told another follower that political formations must be built where the dominant tendency is of leaders who believe in good governance.

“Short of that the next lot won’t be much different. And the lot after, until we have leaders who are capable of breaking us out of this vicious cycle. Build such formations,” he told government critic Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, who is self-exiled in Germany.

The 2021 presidential election, which attracted 11 candidates, saw incumbent Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement secure victory with 58.38% of the vote.

Many analysts describe Muntu as a long-distance runner whose project is long-term. They note that he appeared unbothered by the short-term outcomes of the last election. They explain that if he moves one step, he congratulates himself, and if he moves two, he gives himself a pat on the back.

Recently, ANT joined forces with the newly formed People’s Front for Freedom to strengthen their chances of success.