Muntu asks Kyankwanzi to break NRM grip

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For those who have followed the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) since its inception six years ago, it has quickly defined itself as a party anchored on issues, not theatrics.

Analysts say that, unlike its counterparts on the less buttered side that often get lost in political clutter, it stands out for its policy articulation.

And yet, not every battle is won through such debates. Sometimes it is prudent to take the bull by the horns, something that was not lost on ANT national coordinator and presidential flagbearer Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu, as he campaigned in Kyankwanzi town council in Kyankwanzi district on October 18, 2025.

Rather than massage the egos of residents in the NRM stronghold, Muntu, a former army commander who fought in the National Resistance Army (NRA) rebellion, spoke straight to their hearts, telling them the onus lay on them to send President Yoweri Museveni into retirement to avert a repeat of the past instabilities that plagued the country.

It is worth noting that in the 2021 general elections, the incumbent polled 58.38% of the vote. He was followed by National Unity Platform’s (NUP) Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu with 35.08 percent while Muntu managed only 0.65 percent.

Ruined golden chance

Switching between Luganda and Runyankore-Rukiga dialects, Muntu alluded to the removal of presidential term limits in 2005, a moment he said was when President Museveni squandered a golden opportunity to become a statesman like Julius Nyerere.

It was at that point, Muntu added, that he chose to part ways with what had become an unresponsive party that had allowed hypocrisy and intrigue to fester.

“Instead of solving those challenges, they breastfed them. Now they have grown up and are coming to eat you. I often tell those still in the Movement that they dressed you in goats’ ears. If you don’t shed them off, the leopards will eat you,” he warned.

“Most of you at the grassroots don’t even know what happens at the top. You’re not responsible for those mistakes, but if you wear goats’ ears, the leopard can’t tell. It thinks you’re a goat. It can eat you, even when you’ve done nothing wrong,” he added.

Unresolved transition question

Muntu said it was imperative to release Gen. Museveni into retirement as a form of catharsis, arguing that many Ugandans are harbouring deep-seated anger. Several officers he once served with, he added, are disappointed by the direction the NRM has taken. Their concern, he said, stems from the fear that by refusing to retire, Museveni might go down with the country. 

He argued that while the Constitution mandates the Vice President to hold power for six months in the event the President dies or is removed from office legally, few, if any, Ugandans believe Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo could fill the leadership vacuum in such a case.

"People of Kyankwanzi, free yourselves from the NRM and vote for me. I can handle leadership, I am a man of integrity and truth, and I have never been a hypocrite. I became an army commander at just 30 years old. The very things that brought down former presidents, money, power and privileges, came at me, but I stood firm. They are beneath my feet; they do not control me. I control them,” Muntu bragged.

“I am the cure to the ailments of this country. If you want to be healed, here I am. Give me your votes. But if you choose to cling to your problems, I will wait and watch, while you continue to make noise as you always have,” he warned.

NRM supporter pushes back

His seemingly tough talk, however, put him on a collision course with Peace Natwijuka, 37, a local resident who asked Muntu and his colleagues to be patient and allow President Museveni to serve his last term in office as he had promised.

“I knew you long ago and heard you. You worked with President Museveni, but this time he has begged us that we should give him five more years and that in 2031, he is not returning. Why can’t you be patient?” she inquired.

However, Muntu told her that he knew the President far better than she did.

“Is this the first time he is telling you this, that it’s the last term? Aren’t you aware that he had made a similar request?” he probed.

He then asked the crowd if this was the first time such a request had been made, to which, in unison, they responded in the negative.

Muntu, turning to Natwijuka and said, “Do you see, Peace? That’s what they call hypocrisy. If he deceives you and you allow it, he can’t fool me. I know him better than you do… Do you think I hate him? He deceived us and now wants to cause us problems in the country.”

The exchange was far from over. Muntu asked her if she had ever heard of veteran politician Col. (Rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye on subversive charges, who had been held in prison beyond the mandatory 180-day bail period after being repatriated from Kenya.

Adding that while politicians are not legally immune, they must be prosecuted within the confines of the law. He also addressed NUP supporters, including Rukungiri Municipality hopeful Sam Mugumya, warning that injustices of this nature could destabilise the country.

Natwijuka responded affirmatively, acknowledging that the government was in the wrong, but she insisted on her stance, prompting Muntu to make a bet about the future of Uganda.

“We should pray to God that you and I are alive when that time comes. By God’s grace, if things go well, we shall witness it. But if things go wrong, that’s when you will know they played with your mind and captured your thoughts. Because that is the situation you are in,” Muntu summed.