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Karuhanga, Mwiru cross to Muntu’s ANT

Acting ANT coordinator Alice Alaso hands over a copy of party constitution to Ntungamo Municipality MP Gerald Karuhanga. Photo by Nicholas Bamulanzeki

Ntungamo Municipality MP Gerald Karuhanga and his Jinja Municipality counterpart Paul Mwiru have joined Maj Gen (Rtd) Mugisha Muntu’s Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).

Karuhanga was hitherto an independent while Mwiru belonged to main opposition party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).

Muntu founded ANT after losing to Patrick Oboi Amuriat in an election for FDC president.

He is the official ANT presidential flag bearer for the 2021 election.

ALICE ALASO WELCOMES MWIRU, KARUHANGA TO ANT

Acting ANT coordinator Alice Alaso said the party was “extremely excited to welcome” Mwiru and Karuhanga.

“It gives me great joy to witness this homecoming. My work is easy because you two have been part and parcel of our formation,” Alaso said.

“Whoever joins today will have much work to do as those who joined before and those who will join after. So, you are not too late and neither are you early.”

MWIRU ON CROSSING FROM FDC TO ANT

MPs Gerald Karuhanga and Paul Mwiru have officially joined Muntu’s ANT. Photo by Nicholas Bamulanzeki

Mwiru said he has joined ANT “with my own conscience and passion.”

“I have joined this Party by choice and will becausee I know the task ahead of us. We need an organised group and that is why I join the Alliance,” Mwiru noted.

“I come here because I believe in the principle of putting people first. What defines me as a person is that what I say is what I do.”

KARUHANGA AFTER JOINING ANT

For his part, Karuhanga said joining ANT was a “historical moment” because the Parliamentary Elections Act, 2001 had made it impossible for him to cross.

The law bars MPs from crossing to other political parties before the end of term of office.

“If it wasn’t for laws, I should have joined this Party right from the launch,” he said.

He added that ANT’s values of honesty, integrity, transparency, zero tolerance to corruption, and eqity had attracted him to the party.

“I know the challenges ahead but I am very sure that the team I have joined will put People First.”

A former youth MP, Karuhanga told young people not to give up the push to better their lives.

“It is time to martial our abilities, our energies and turn round our country.”

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Samuel Kamugisha

Samuel Kamugisha is a Ugandan journalist, editor, translator, language instructor, poet, fiction and non-fiction writer. A Makerere University graduate of Journalism and Communication with a decade-long experience in news reporting, writing and editing, Kamugisha is Editor at The Pearl Times. His other journalistic work was published by The Observer. When he is not doing journalism work -- which is rare -- Kamugisha will be reading or writing a short story or a poem, or caught up in the writer's block. His new children's book 'Friends of Plastics' has been published by Room to Read and Reading Association of Uganda and can be read here: https://literacycloud.org/stories/7887-friends-of-plastic/