Mugisha Muntu, the leader of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), paid a private visit to Robert Kyagulanyi, more commonly known as Bobi Wine, at his home in Magere. During their closed-door meeting, Muntu delivered a stern cautionary message to Bobi Wine, urging him to think twice before forming a coalition with Kizza Besigye and putting his trust in him.
Muntu labeled Besigye as a deceitful man, warning against believing everything he says when it comes to coalition-building and the removal of President Museveni’s government.
Sources close to the meeting revealed that Muntu arrived at Bobi Wine’s residence on the morning of January 16, 2024, just before the scheduled gathering of the United Forces of Change at Katonga Road, where they were supposed to announce their alliance. Muntu took the opportunity to share his fears and concerns with Bobi Wine about joining forces with Besigye to oust the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) from power.
During their conversation, Muntu expressed his support for the idea of establishing an opposition alliance. However, he also emphasized his lack of trust in Besigye and some of the individuals in his inner circle. Muntu accused them of branding others as government moles and tarnishing their political careers through fabricated propaganda.
Muntu went further, challenging Bobi Wine to conduct thorough research on Besigye. He warned Bobi Wine that he would be surprised to discover that Besigye is not as reliable as he presents himself to be when it comes to ousting President Museveni.
In an intriguing twist, Muntu directed Bobi Wine’s attention to the issue of Besigye’s wife, Winnie Byanyima, who has openly expressed her interest in vying for the highest office in the country. Muntu asked Bobi Wine to consider whom Besigye would likely support between him and his wife. This line of questioning aimed to illustrate that Besigye’s priorities may lie with his own family ambitions rather than the greater goal of removing Museveni from power.
“Muntu urged Bobi Wine to ask himself whether Besigye would support his presidential aspirations or those of his wife,” revealed one of the sources. Muntu confidently asserted that he had enough resources and capable personnel at his disposal to conduct an independent investigation into incidents where Besigye allegedly used and abandoned individuals who didn’t align with his ideology, often accusing them of being government moles or accepting illicit funds.
Political experts chimed in on the matter, suggesting that Besigye’s real intentions for forming the alliance are far from what the rest of the opposition expects to achieve. They allege that Besigye is merely laying the groundwork for his wife’s candidacy in the upcoming 2026 elections.
“All that Besigye is doing right now is building support for his wife. When the time is right, he will withdraw from the Forces of Change once he feels confident in the backing his wife has garnered. We believe an exchange of significant funds will occur during this period to accomplish his personal objectives. Trusting him at this stage would be a grave political mistake,” warned the experts.
On January 16, 2024, the Forces of Change, composed of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) at Katonga, the National Unity Platform (NUP), and the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), gathered at a press conference in Katonga to officially announce their alliance. Curiously, Muntu, as the president of ANT, did not attend the press conference, opting instead to meet with Bobi Wine at his residence prior to the public announcement.
