Presidential aspirant Mugisha Muntu cautions security operatives against impunity

SHEEMA - Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) presidential flag-bearer for the 2026 General election, Maj. Gen (rtd) Mugisha Muntu has cautioned security agents against acts of impunity.

He echoed this during the campaign trail at Kabwohe town in Sheema Municipality, Sheema district, on Sunday, October 5, 2025.

Addressing supporters, Muntu emphasised the importance of leaders treating citizens with fairness and dignity. Such that when their time in power comes to a close, their crimes could catch up with them.

“We all have to be equal before the law. Those of you who are still in the system. The RDCs, intelligence officers, ministers, and MPs are busy out there trampling on people,” he stated.

Muntu argued, those in charge of state affairs, like the Bourbons, have neither learned from nor forgotten anything from Uganda’s post-independence political history. (All Photos by Stuart Yiga)

“When you mistreat people, like some of you here in Kabwohe who I keep on hearing saying that Opposition can’t set foot in Sheema, tomorrow when you are out of power, how do you expect to be treated by your successors? Go slow on these things. No one stays in power to the end of time. There comes a time when you have to leave. Like NRM, too, will eventually leave,” Muntu warned.

According to him, the incumbent government should currently be focused on correcting its mistakes. Unfortunately, Muntu argued, those in charge of state affairs, like the Bourbons, have neither learned from nor forgotten anything from Uganda’s post-independence political history.

“You trust guns, but when Amin’s Government collapsed, soldiers were looking for civilian clothes and would discard their guns. Some were even wearing civilian clothes underneath their uniforms while the war raged. When Kampala was captured, they would remove the uniform, throw away the guns and disappear,” he recounted.

Level-headed, benevolent leader

Drawing on his experience, Muntu said such troubling consequences can only be averted by electing a level-headed and non-vengeful leader like himself.

“I was Director of Military Intelligence when we took power. I disagreed with comrades who were angry and wanted to revenge. I rescued people who had made mistakes and now lacked protection by deploying soldiers to protect them,” he alluded.

“I don’t believe in vengeance; it is God who decides. I want us to operate and live under the law, whether you are the President, minister, army commander, Inspector General of Police or the Director General of Intelligence,” Muntu assured.

Army profile

At baseline, he reminded the crowd that its excesses that drove him and others, including President Yoweri Museveni, to take up arms against the Milton Apollo Obote’s Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) Government in 1981.

Born in Kitunga, Ntungamo, to Enoch Muntuyera, a close confidante, the ANT National co-ordinator joined the National Resistance Army (NRA) at 23 years, fresh from Makerere University.

Upon capturing government power, he later served as Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), commander of the Fifth Division in Lira, and Army Commander from 1989 to 1998.

Muntu, retired soldier, meet

The heartwarming moment of the rally came when Muntu recounted how, during that NRA war, his father’s body was repatriated from Langata Cemetery and reburied at their country home by Obote.

It was at this point that a retired soldier, Magid Seganne, raised his voice in agreement, prompting Muntu to call him forward. 

When EC security guards tried to block him, Muntu instructed them in Kiswahili, ‘Muache’ (leave him).

Before turning to ask him, ‘Ulikua kwa jeshi’ (were you in the army?).

The man, walking with a clutch on his right leg, then engaged in a poignant conversation with Muntu before saluting and returning to the crowd.

Speaking to New Vision Online, shortly afterwards, Seganne recounted that at the time of Muntu’s father’s burial, he was living in Kololo with Chris Rwakasisi, who was then Security Minister.

However, Seganne later switched sides and joined the NRA rebels.

“I was living at Obote’s place and left his home with Sam Byaruhanga to join the bush war in 1984. Muntu was my army commander; I even have his letter. My army number is RO/12475, but we never received anything. We have lost hope. I cannot even eat meat. For retirement, we were only given shillings 150,000 and iron sheets,” he said.

To support his claims, Seganne also claimed that he has records signed by the late Eriya Mwiine alias Chef Ali. Yet time proved to be no friend.

Chef Ali, who has recently resurfaced in the media, is renowned for having commanded NRA’s eleventh battalion that laid siege on Simba Barracks in Mbarara. After capturing power, he later rose to become UPDF chief of staff.