Amidst the hustle and bustle of Kampala, in the suburb of Nsambya under the blue sky and a moderate 23 degrees Celsius, coordinators and persons who represented the ANT at elective positions trickled into Nsambya Youth Center. The reason: to review the 2020-2021 election process.
The meeting on 6th April 2021 was scheduled to start at 8:00am. However, members faced delays because of the different traffic diversions from several unending road constructions. It was also made more complicated by the closure of the main ring roads that connect to the Kololo Independence Grounds. Today’s meeting had coincided with the public viewing of the late Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga’s body, and where President YK. Museveni was the chief guest.
Nevertheless, over 50 members made it to the venue and the meeting started at 9:00 a.m. facilitated by Mr. Kyazze Kasim, the Kampala Subregional Coordinator. The members in attendance represented both Kampala and Wakiso districts. The mood was that of excitement with plenty of laughter as members acknowledged and shared their frustrations, celebrated the wins especially in lighting the ANT bulb in their constituency and registered councilor positions.
ANT Ag National Coordinator, Hon. Alaso created a conducive environment for reflections on coordination, challenges, and the way forward. She encouraged participants to make their voices heard in shaping the party’s way forward.
Also present at the workshop was Mr. Basakana Hannington, the chairperson Emeritus Jinja District Local Government who prepared the participants for their roles in local council. Citing a broken local government system, he called for value-based leadership in government. Also present at the workshop was Women’s League Coordinator, Amb. Edith Sempala, the Coordinator Education Institutions, Mr. Bala David Bwiruka, ANT spokesperson, Mr. Wilberforce Seryazi, and the Diaspora Coordinator, Grace Atuhaire among others.
The presidential candidate, Mugisha Muntu encouraged comrades to commit to the value-based ideology of the party. He clarified that “those who claim that I am the right candidate to lead Uganda and yet say that I do not have heat don’t understand that the symbolism of ANT’s bulb is light.”
As the workshop ended, Hon. Alaso commissioned members as the lead mobilisers for building party structures, thus starting the region on structural building phase.
The second workshop that was to take place on 7th April at the same venue has been rescheduled to a date yet to be confirmed. The ANT leadership is prepared to traverse 12 districts within the month of April and calls on all members to give financial support to the party through the party’s official channels to further enable these workshops across the country as party of the strategic planning process.