RAKAI — Alliance for National Transformation presidential candidate Maj. Gen. (rtd) Gregory Mugisha Muntu has called on voters in the districts of Rakai and Kyotera to support candidates from the rival National Unity Platform and other opposition groups in the upcoming general elections.
The appeal, made during a campaign tour Sunday, follows his own party’s failure to field candidates for most positions in the area.
Speaking to cheering crowds across several trading centers, Muntu emphasized the need for opposition unity to bring about a change in Uganda’s leadership.
“Our mission is to achieve genuine change in the governance of this country,” Muntu said. “Since ANT has only one flag bearer here… I urge you to vote for all capable opposition candidates who can stand firm against the regime.”
He specifically endorsed several NUP parliamentary and local council candidates, as well as an independent candidate for district chairperson, describing them as “a strong voice for the opposition.”
Muntu’s message resonated in the largely rural and agrarian districts, where residents have long complained of government neglect. The areas struggle with poor infrastructure, low incomes, limited access to healthcare and frequent water shortages. Many roads remain unpaved and impassable during rainy seasons, hindering farmers from transporting goods.
“Imagine, President Museveni has promised to tarmac these roads for decades, but look at their state,” Muntu said as residents applauded. “You cannot keep rewarding failed leadership. This is the right time for the old man to retire peacefully.”
Muntu, a former army commander who served under President Yoweri Museveni before parting ways with the ruling National Resistance Movement, also pledged to prioritize public service reforms if elected. He focused on improving the welfare of teachers and local government employees, arguing it would boost morale and reduce corruption.
He questioned why Ugandans continue to support a leader who has been in power for nearly four decades and warned that the suppression of opposition voices reflected a “new form of imperialism” within the ruling establishment.
Residents at the rallies expressed a mixture of hope and skepticism, with many fearing government reprisals for supporting opposition candidates. Muntu urged them to overcome that fear.
“Rakai and Kyotera have suffered enough,” he said. “The time has come to vote for leaders who will work for you, not those who only visit during campaign seasons.”
