By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: General Mugisha Muntu, who broke away from Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party and formed his own Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), has announced his Party’s leadership structure.
Muntu unveiled the team this morning during the official launch of the party in Kampala. Muntu is deputized by Makerere University Don Nyanja Musoke as the national Deputy Coordinator-Operations and former Serere Woman MP Alice Alaso as the National coordinator-Finance and Administration. Martin Okumu will serve as the National Coordinator for Research and Policy. Christine Abia, a former legislator is the treasurer, while Ambassador Edith Ssempala heads the women’s league. Lawyer Wilberforce Seryazi is the Party’s spokesperson working with scribe Suleiman Kakaire and Barbara Allimadi heads the Diaspora Affairs office.
Other members of the team include Hannington Basakana as Eastern Region Coordinator, Ssewava Sserubiri for Central region, Phoebe Acan for Northern region, and Jackson Wabyoona for the Western region. Florence Ibi Egwau will be in charge of Parliamentary Affairs and Abim Matanda is the Youth League Coordinator. Eunice Okullo will lead Religious Affairs, Prossy Naikoba will lead the Civil Society Organisation Affairs, David Mwiruka will lead Education, while Dan Mugarura will lead Election Affairs. The Party will be guided by a team of elders, among them, Dan Wandera Ogalo, Dr Munini Munera and Yokas Bihande. Alice Alaso, the Party’s National Coordinator in Charge of Finance and Administration says they intend to use the next three months to traverse the country and recruit new members. Mugisha Muntu says the Party will come out with different policy positions so that within one year, every Ugandan will understand what ANT stands for and what the party has to offer. The Alliance for National Transformation was formed on March 19, 2019, as an opposition political party. It came in the aftermath of a fall out between the FDC leadership led by Patrick Oboi Amuriat and a faction led by his predecessor Mugisha Muntu.
Those present at the launch included Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, Democratic Party (DP) president Norbert Mao, Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) President Jimmy Akena, the Conservative Party’s Ken Lukyamuzi, former leaders of Opposition Winifred Kiiza and Prof Morris Ogenga Latigo, Arua Municipality MP Kassiano Wadri and Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu, among others. The Party unveiled its official symbol, a lighting bulb, its colours; White, Purple, and Orange and a logo, a map of Uganda lit with a bulb in the middle. However, Muntu announces his Party leadership a few months after Dr. Kizza Besigye announced his Peoples Government, which includes people like MP Betty Nambooze, MP Allan Ssewanyana, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and others. The move taken by Muntu has thus been construed by some political pundits as a measure to counter Besigye’s Peoples Government, which is increasingly becoming popular among Ugandans and other opposition politicians. It is there far not yet clear whether Muntu’s ANT leadership will work in tandem with Besigye’s Peoples Government to further the political ambitions of opposition politicians in Uganda, or will create an opposing force within the opposition.
