Muntu pledges to improve conditions of slum dwellers 

“What are you going to do for us? We are tired of empty promises. Some of us lost our cattle and property during the Luweero war and we are here suffering as if we had nothing before,” an elderly woman kept shouting from one of the tents as she was supported by others.

 “Look at our children, they are at home and not going to school. Even when you try to borrow a loan for your business, the interest rates are too high and you cannot save enough for the future. How are we supposed to live?” she added. Others questioned why they should trust ANT leaders, arguing that those in power had abused their mandate and misused state resources to enrich themselves. 

Muntu’s clean image

Gen Muntu came clean on this and told the crowd that he never stole any money as an army commander for the 28 years he served in the military. He assured the crowd that his name is clean and whoever wants can check his record.

The ANT presidential candidate said he visited slums because he believes the lives of the people there represent the living conditions of majority of Ugandans who live in deplorable conditions. 

Ms Namakanga Margaret, 35, was among the most active women in the crowd of more than 300 people in two tents who not only cheered the former army commander but yelled out her issues for him to respond to as he laid out his manifesto. 

“I have been in this area (Kalerwe slum) for more than 10 years but I cannot even educate my four children without a sponsor. My first born got pregnant at 14 years and went off with a man when she was just in P.6. We all live in that one room and the rent is high. My husband is a gardener, he works so hard but all we can get is just money for food,” Ms Namakanga, who hails from Luweero District, said. 

She said she will only vote a candidate who promises a solution to their problems and enable them access credit to boost her business of tomatoes and other vegetables, which she sells at her stall in front of her ramshackled house.

As she talked, children played and ran around a heap of dump garbage less than 10 metres away from Ssebina playground where Gen Muntu held the rally. 

Ms Fauzia Baluku, 30, a single mother of three, sat in one of the tents with her hand supporting her chin. She tried to pay attention to the different ANT candidates on various positions but seemed distracted by her distant thoughts. 

Disgruntled voters

“I came here to hear if their coming into leadership can give us any hope. I want to hear him talk about the education of our children. My children need bursaries or sponsorship so that they can study. My first born is in Primary Seven this year and I do not know how she will join secondary school. 

“I am a street vendor but KCCA keeps chasing us away. At Kalerwe Market here, I am not making enough money to cater for my children,” Ms Baluku lamented. 

“The youth are always rowdy and chaotic because they are idle. Our education system does not train a child to be productive after school but rather look for jobs that are not there,” Mr Mayanja Musaazi Yakubu, the ANT candidate for Kampala Lord Mayor, said. 

Ms Rachael Mutesi, 30, a resident of Kalerwe, asked the presidential candidate to build decent housing for the poor through mortgage.

Gen Muntu responded to most of the issues, saying people in slums need to elect leaders who can be trusted to equitably allocate and efficiently utilise the available resources. 

“It is possible to have a good standard of living in these slums; ensure that there is low cost housing. Some of these are public while others are private land. 

“So it requires negotiation with the land owners to buy from them, but you must also ensure that they have the means to pay for those mortgages. There is no way you can say that a country is developed when there are still slums in these areas,” he explained to the media. 

Gen Muntu later campaigned in Kampala Central Division. Today, he heads to Ankole Sub-region, beginning with Ntungamo District.