Youth challenge Muntu on his military past at Manafwa rally
“I am a civilian presidential candidate because I retired from the army. There are many retired officers from the army who are disciplined, who never stole people’s property, who are open to whatever happens even in our society,” he answered.
The Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. (rtd) Mugisha Muntu, speaking during a rally on Sunday (November 23 ) at Butiru trading centre in Butiru town council, Manafwa district. (Photos by Isaac Nuwagaba)
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Maj. Gen. (rtd) Mugisha Muntu, the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) presidential candidate, faced an unfiltered challenge during his campaign as a group of youth demanded immediate political change.
Shouting “we want change,” they expressed their view that the country needs a shift from what they described as military leadership to civilian rule.
The confrontation, which unfolded on Sunday (November 23 ) at Butiru trading centre in Butiru town council, Manafwa district, highlighted the frustrations in some of Uganda’s most vulnerable communities and underscored Muntu’s struggle to redirect the discussion towards long-term governance solutions.
The tension began when Ronny Khaukha, a resident of Butiru town council, questioned Muntu’s legacy during his time as army commander of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces.
“We have seen enough with the leadership of soldiers in this country. The army has been conniving with area officials to grab community land with impunity. Corruption has been rampant, and we have nothing to do because we do not have guns to overwhelm them. We need a civilian president, not an army man this time after President Museveni,” he said.
Khaukha further argued that civilian authority had been violated by the army and insisted that Ugandans needed a leader who had never served in the military.
A soldier’s stand against handouts
Muntu, known for his disciplined service as a former army commander, responded firmly.
“I am a civilian presidential candidate because I retired from the army. There are many retired officers from the army who are disciplined, who never stole people’s property, who are open to whatever happens even in our society,” he answered.
He recounted the 2005 debate on lifting presidential term limits, explaining:
“I was among the ten (10) soldiers at Kyankwanzi when the debate of the contentious term limits came up in 2005, and we fought the biggest battle of our lives when civilians decided to take sh5m as a bribe to remove the term limits in Parliament.”
“That time there was no civilian Member of Parliament (MP) who was beaten or even arrested over the matter, but civilians passed it against our will because we knew that it was a moral fabric which was never supposed to be tampered with.”
Muntu questioned why civilians were quick to blame soldiers for all wrongdoing.
“Don’t we have civilians who have stolen people’s land?” he asked.
“Don’t we have civilians working in local governments asking bribes to give out government jobs to our citizens? What happened?”
He added that many civilians who had stolen public resources were still elected by voters who accepted their money.
Civilian governments and military intervention
Muntu urged locals to vote in overwhelming numbers in order to force a peaceful transition.
“If 90% vote in favour of the opposition in the country, we are very sure that the army will hand over to the coming leader without fail because we were in the army before, commanded it and retired to live with the local people for many years now,” he assured.
He reminded the crowd that African nations, including Uganda, began with civilian governments, but military coups emerged when governance had deteriorated.
Referencing African military leaders who returned power to civilian governments, Muntu praised examples such as Ghana’s Jerry John Rawlings for demonstrating discipline and respecting civilian rule.
The civilian president pledge
Addressing calls for a purely civilian leader, Muntu said his military background did not define his mission.
“I’m a soldier, I won’t boycott elections. We face barriers, but we won’t quit,” he said in a separate briefing, contrasting himself with what he termed President Museveni’s prolonged stay in power.
He questioned why regions like Kween, Bukwo and Karamoja, which consistently voted for the ruling party, remained engulfed in “poverty statistics,” he urged voters to reinstate term limits and choose leaders committed to public service.
Corruption and the time bomb
Muntu warned that Uganda was sitting on a “political and economic time bomb” if citizens did not choose leaders with integrity.
“You reap what you vote for, corruption or dignity,” he said, condemning vote buying and accusing the ruling NRM of “targeting weak leaders”. In Manafwa, he challenged the President: “Does he know about land grabs, job sales? If so, he has no right to seek another term”.
He outlined plans to increase funding for roads, schools and health centres, enforce zero tolerance for corruption, strengthen security, and remove corrupt actors involved in land and mineral theft.