I met with Honorable Alice Alaso via Zoom to get a sense of who she is. To start with, I wanted to know how she would describe herself to someone hearing about her for the first time.

I come from a family of five. My mother had three children, my stepmother also had three children, but only two are still alive. From my mother’s side, I have an older sister and a younger brother.

I want people to know that I am easy to get along with, but I am also a tough cookie. I may not appear to be, but deep down, I am a firm believer of Jesus Christ, and I love Him as my Lord and Savior. I am also quite cautious, but I prefer to keep things simple and straightforward. If I did something I thought was right but subsequently realized it wasn't, I own up to it.

Tell us about your upbringing: What were you like when you were a little girl?

I spent my entire school life in Teso; the good old Teso which tends to bring very fond memories of mangoes, sweet potatoes, and milk. Most significantly, my parents are both retired teachers. My parents are the fundamental figures in my life, who helped shape me into the person I am today. For illustration, the environment in which I was raised was not conducive to poor academic performance.

When I took the end-of-term exam in P1, I was among the first five students who excelled in that class. I believe this necessitated my teachers to push me through to the next class. A similar thing happened in high school. In the second week of my second term in senior five, I was permitted to write another exam, where I ended up outperforming three-quarters of the class. Admittedly, I believe I inherited many of my parents' genes and intellect; and I believe this gave me recognition as a very bright child among my teachers and classmates.

However, in Teso, the war that had occurred, shaped me greatly since it stripped us of everything we were and had (the cows, homes, and the community). This life-defining moment influenced my perception of the future and has also re-defined my concern for the vulnerable.

What are issues matter to you or make your heart ache?

Injustice, deprivation, and vulnerability are the issues that continue to bother me. I despise poverty and dislike seeing people suffer. Witnessing human rights being violated is incredibly upsetting. Also, as someone who grew up during the war, anything that involves pain makes my heart ache. However, concerns like community empowerment, education, and post-conflict reconstruction are more likely to get me moving to participate if given the opportunity. Besides that, terrible politics, such as the Ugandan politics, makes me sick. I believe that this country deserves better, but regrettably, the country's leaders have purposefully crushed the nation. Sometimes when I have traveled to other countries, on returning to Uganda, I look at the slum from Entebbe to Kampala and wish we had a better, more well-planned Kampala. Those are the kinds of things I wish I could intervene in. I am enthusiastic about education, social work, and politics.

Are you a teacher by profession?

Absolutely, I am a professional teacher. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Makerere University. When I graduated, I decided to return to Teso right away. However, when I went to see the Minister of Education, the Commissioner questioned why I chose a school in Teso, to which I replied, "Teso is home for me, and if I do not go, who else will?" My response astounded them. The commissioner then assigned me to Teso College Aloet, where I taught from 1993 until 1997. I also worked part-time at other schools, such as St. Mary's Madera. However, my teaching career came to an end when I left Teso College Aloet and began a path in elective politics.

What does leadership mean to you, and how did you come to feel strongly about politics?

To start off with what leadership means to me, around 2003 or 2004, I constructed a phrase that describes leadership. In my opinion, “Leadership is service to God and humanity”. I was already involved in politics at the time. Perhaps I will revise my definition in the future. But for the time being, that is what leadership means to me.

Growing up, I was impoverished but there was always something about me leading the rest of the young people around me. For example, when I was in Senior Four, I was elected as the Head Girl of my Secondary School. Throughout my tenure as a Head Girl, I was able to eradicate the primitive practice of bullying on campus.

Also, during my time at the Makerere university, I was granted accommodation in Africa Hall. The Africa Hall was one of my favorites, but it was mostly known as the rich people's hall. I was more of a social outcast there since I was from a disadvantaged home. However, my outgoing nature drew me into the sports and games environment, and as a result, I became one of the morale boosters in Africa Hall. This opened a number of doors for me, where students started gifting me with sportswear and other attires, making it easier for me to blend in with the other rich kids. Also, as a good tennis player, I was able to join the university team. When the time for campaigns came, students approached me and declared I was the one they desired for the role of chairperson. I declined since I did not have the financial means to afford the incentives and other expenses associated with campaigning. I believe this is what sparked my interest in politics.

I don't believe things happen by luck; instead, I believe God directs our movements. When I first arrived at Teso College in 1997, I came across an advertisement in some local newspaper from the previous week, and I decided to put myself to test to see if I could still answer questions and convince a panel of interviewers. I applied for the Post-Conflict Recovery Program job that was listed in the newspaper, even though I never imagined I would obtain the position since my initial ambition was to pursue a master's degree in education. Two weeks after I was interviewed, I received a phone call where I was informed that I had been hired for the job. I was completely perplexed since I wasn’t ready to quit my teaching job.

I concluded that the job was not from God. I had my pupils to teach, and I also served as their patron. My senior six class on the other hand were also about to start their exams in a month’s time. I even gathered a couple of my students to pray and cancel the job. I went to the office of my new job and told the Chief Administrative Officer that I didn't want the job. She inquired as to why I didn't want it and I responded that the most essential reason was my students. I was startled when she said to me: "This is why you would be the best employee I could ever have in the local government." She agreed to let me continue teaching at Teso College and offered me the option of working at my new position once a week. I accepted the offer and started working at the district once a week, while I continued to teach my students until they sat for their A level exams.

In 1997, I began working as the District Gender Officer on the Post-Conflict Recovery Program in the districts of Kaberamaido, and others. This endeavor included mainstreaming and ensuring gender equality across the curriculum. However, in 2000, a new district called Katabi was born out of Soroti. The sitting Member of Parliament opted to return to her hometown of Soroti, which was now known as Katabi. She informed the public that she would be running for office in that district instead. Following her proclamation, people from the district council, sub-county councils, and the women's groups with which I had worked, encouraged me to contest for the position. Another distinct group approached me and requested that I represent them in parliament, but for a specific county in Serere. I explained that I did not have the adequate funds, but they offered to sponsor the campaign on my behalf. I was later taken to a local newspaper center, where I confirmed that I was running for office, and images of me were taken for campaign purposes. There was no multi-party politics at the time, but there was a complete distinction between the Opposition and the Movement. We had the contest, and I emerged victorious. This is how I got elected to Parliament in 2001. However, a referendum was held in 2005 to allow political parties to be reintroduced, and I contested again in 2006 as an FDC candidate. I served in parliament from 2006 to 2011, and again from 2011 to 2016.

What prompted you to move from FDC to the Alliance for National Transformation?

When I was in the Parliament of Uganda in 2004, I was part of a group called Parliamentary Advocacy Forum. We composed ourselves to pursue concerns of constitutionalism in the parliament of Uganda. The FDC was established when Reform Agenda and another group merged. During the interim stages of the FDC's formation, I served as the late Sam Njuba's Deputy Secretary General. As a result, I became the FDC's first Secretary General, a position I occupied for ten years. An election was held in 2012, and I was elected as the first Deputy President where I was deputizing General Muntu, who had been elected President of the party a year earlier. Initially, we appeared to be in accord about what we wanted to achieve in FDC. But when General Muntu started campaigning, Dr. Besigye launched a counter-campaign to discredit General Muntu. General Muntu won the elections despite the counter-campaign, but he never got peace. Together with Honorable Nandala Mafabi, Dr. Besigye began holding his own meetings to build a new political party, known as the Farmer's Party.

Despite all of this, General Muntu remained a man of remarkable tact and wisdom. During those sessions, he persuaded some members of that group to extend to him an invitation. He was invited by the people, and he showed up at all of their meetings, thus making it hard for that new element to be sustained. The kind of animosity (from the counter) was transmitted into the party's day-to-day management, causing the party to fracture. Thus, it took a lot of aptitude on the part of General Muntu to hold the Party together. Moving forward, there was another presidential contest in 2019, and we hoped that General Muntu's term would be extended. As General Muntu's Deputy President, I supported him going into the campaign, and he was campaigning on the platform of institutional development, paired with civil disobedience, if necessary. However, Honorable Amuriat Oboi campaigned on “One Party, One Strategy”.

The election was quite fair. The delegates voted for Hon. Amuriat as the party leader; and those of us who were interested in institutions discussed amongst ourselves and we reached the conclusion that we did not want to stay in the FDC, as that would be disruptive. We didn't want to be labeled as redundant in the country either. However, the only other alternative that looked viable to us was to establish a new platform and use it to pursue the same objective. As a convener, I organized meetings where we reviewed the constitution before launching ANT in 2019. The beauty of ANT, which we were able to accomplish as a political party, was the fact that we were able to clarify our ideals. It is incredibly challenging to bring together people who do not comprehend or share the same value system. As ANT, we believe in respect and do not engage in social media provocations. We also clarified the mode of operations and a short-term plan to guarantee that we work toward a seamless transition. Getting into ANT also offered us peace of mind because we had faith in the person with whom we were working, and he had faith in us as well.

What does this transition signify and mean to the people of Uganda?

ANT is now completely at ease, and we believe the FDC is as well. We were astounded to learn that the recent election was sponsored by the NRM. It is clear that we are content where we are. Our obligation to the ANT as an institution is to enhance its capacity, assign people to committees, and train people to carry out their tasks. We genuinely think that whatever approach the party takes, having structural elements and committed leaders is the way forward. Although we may desire immediate change, there is no problem if it does not occur at this time, since we are not in a rush. We also believe that if we are to take part in peaceful demonstrations, which is our constitutional right, we must be able to depend on the party’s structure to coordinate our thoughts. I believe all these are attainable if we continue to maintain our stance as a very solid organization.

Interview conducted by Cynthia Ayeza and written by Gifty Enyonam for ANT.

How would you describe yourself to a Ugandan meeting you for the very first time?

First and foremost, I am a Ugandan who is very passionate about good governance and the rule of law. I am a stickler for details, I love to be neat and organized. In fact, one of the reasons why I joined ANT is because it's an organization that loves to organize in the political space.

Tell us about your upbringing.

I was born to parents from Kabarole District, but we moved to Jinja not long after, and that is where I was raised. I attended Little Angels Nursery School, then Victoria Nile Primary School, I went to Naalya SSS Lugazi Campus, then Jinja College for A-level. In 2012, I joined Makerere University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences, majoring in Criminology and a minor in Psychology.

During my time at school, I was in active leadership. I keep telling people that one of the positions that I held first was being a principal collector in my nursery school. That was the foundation for my leadership, and I was a prefect throughout primary school. It is largely in my secondary schooling that I developed a serious passion for leadership. I was a deputy head prefect in Naalya Lugazi Campus and at Jinja College, and later elected the head prefect. In fact, there was also a Uganda Secondary Schools Prefect Association, for which I was eventually elected the National President – that was in 2010.

Before joining University, I was involved in interact and debate clubs. In 2011, I also attended a missions discipleship training school with other youth in Kigali, Rwanda. It was a good opportunity for me to mingle with people outside of my Jinja context.

When I got to Makerere University, I joined the FDC Makerere chapter. I remember I had never participated in any election and lost, but there is always a first time for everything. I contested for Secretary for the organization but lost that election. Nonetheless, I remained a very committed member of the party.

What are some of the more impactful experiences you had as a student leader?

One of the memories that jumps out at me is when we participated in a demonstration against the 60% tuition policy required at the beginning of the first semester. This was a tough ask. How were poor students going to afford it? We were concerned that it would lead to many dropping out of university. We as student leaders decided to engage the University management, which often did not respond until there was a demonstration. And indeed, we demonstrated and some of us got expelled. In the end the matter was put before the court of law, and it was ruled that our expulsion was illegal. We were allowed back on campus and that experience grounded me. It made me even more brave.

But that was not the end of my troubles. As I sought to run for Guild President, the university fought my nomination claiming that I was behind on my academic obligations. But I challenged this and took the university to court. And for the second time, I defeated them before the courts of law. The university was ordered to give me a fair hearing. When I presented my academic records to the Senate, it was found that I was on track with my studies. I was then able to run and became the Guild President of Makerere University.

What drove your leadership pursuits during your time at Makerere?

I wanted to build systems or a culture of dialogue. I engaged the university’s administration to persuade them about their approach. In my view, students did not need to get so frustrated to resort to demonstrations. I believe in the power of dialogue and that is what I pushed for. I did my part then and will always be grateful that I could.

How did you come to join the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT)?

When ANT was formed in 2019, I was out of the country. I kept monitoring what was transpiring back home. I looked up to general Muntu and I knew that if he decided to form a new group, I would join him because I believed in the principles he represented and that he is a disciplined man. After all, in my assessment, what is lacking in our politics is disciplined people, who have respect for others, regardless of their views and opinions.

Without good mentors in a country, we will eventually find challenges. I therefore chose to join ANT in 2019, and I was chosen to mobilize the students in educational institutions. In fact, in February 2020 just before the lockdown, we were able to organize a meeting of about 30 universities to share with them about the formation of chapters within their universities and how to mobilize within the educational institutions.

What was it about ANT that drew you in?

ANT is a value-driven organization with people at its centre. The party realises that for any country to grow and develop, we must have leaders of great character who are disciplined, principled, and value driven. These are principles I have never heard about in any other political party that I had studied about or known in this country.

The character of the leaders that came together to form ANT is impeccable. These are not selfish people, people who are not money minded. These are not power-hungry people. What drives them is a desire for transformation of the country.

Speaking of taking power, what should Ugandans expect of ANT when it takes power?

Well, first and foremost, I would like to say that taking power is OK, but it’s not all there is to politics. The most important thing that you learn and should be talking about is taking power and using that power in a manner that can transform the country, and that is what ANT is committed to. Before we take power, we must know who we are, what and we are doing in terms of preparing ourselves because the problems of Uganda are deeply rooted.

What we seem to have had is a change in persons and not a change in action. There is no transformation. Our focus as ANT therefore is to take power and use it to transform the country. Our model is people focused. As a party, we do not promise what we cannot deliver, we don't say what we cannot do. And this is our trademark as ANT.

I think that when we take power, one of the things that we want to do is to make politics more meaningful. To make people believe in politics, again, that you can vote a leader in who has promised to do something, and they will deliver on their promises.

We want to be known as a political party that has taken power, not for self-aggrandizement but, for the good of the people of Uganda. To be able to wipe away the tears that Ugandans have wept since independence or even before independence. We want to be able to give people joy, create opportunities for every Ugandan to use their inherent characters or abilities for a successful life. The public should, therefore, expect that as a party, we will build a country where institutions work, institutions that can outlast individuals, because ANT has value-driven leaders.

Comment on the covid-19 and political situation in Uganda now.

Well, unfortunately, Covid came, so many people have lost their lives, economies have shut down; it's very unfortunate. I sympathize with families here and across the globe. It is also sad to note that the pandemic has exposed the lack of leadership in this country. The mismanagement and mishandling of this pandemic exposed the quality of leaders that we have in this country.

Shutting down a country without stimulus packages was unwise. Traders struggled, landlords remained insistent on rent and all the while, banks continue to make money. Add to that, a targeted crackdown on political opponents! We are in a difficult position as a country, but all this falls back on the weak leadership of the country now.

As a party, we have offered alternative approaches on handling of the pandemic, especially in relation to the education sector and we believe it is not too late for the current government to do right by Ugandans.

Speaking of crackdowns on political parties, do you have a comment on the bail issue vis a vis recent related issues unfolding in the country?

Well, it's unfortunate that as a country we have gotten to the point where human rights are a joke, they do not matter but also, this is exposing this country as one which lacks institutions. It shows that leaders do not know what transpires among the people. I was discussing with a colleague about the unfair system where a person is arrested yet kept in prison for a year or two without being produced in the courts of law. Where is the justice in that system? If you have evidence, produce it, and let the person have a fair hearing. To keep them in jail for so long does not seem fair to me. So, the problem we have in the country is with the judicial system. Our institutions are dysfunctional, and most times politically motivated in their dealings.

While Gen. Museveni wants to entrench himself in power more and more, these arrests are part of that plan. But I would remind him that many sacrificed for him to be the leader. He has failed to deliver on the fundamental change he promised people. I call on him to do the right thing. He can take the right direction.

If we could imagine a post-Covid era, how do you think the country can get back on its feet?

As a country, I think it is possible for us to overcome the current challenges. Whereas we have lost so many people, we have not been hit like other countries. Ugandans are listening, disciplined, and cautious and that explains why we have not had deaths in big numbers. The biggest problem has been leadership failure where money is borrowed to ease the challenges resulting from Covid, but the funds are misappropriated and channelled to private pockets. What would help our country is for the government to take deliberate steps towards recovery. The Party made recommendations on what Government can do regarding reopening schools to avoid a long-term impact and how to jumpstart the economy. Businesses will need jumpstarting, and this entails giving them stimulus packages. The health sector needs urgent prioritizing, and this is not new. These are ailments the country has laboured with for years under the current regime. We have already made our recommendations to the government. It is up to them to act and spare the country more difficulty. Even as I say this I realise the current government is incapable of delivering on these things. It is too corrupt.

Any last thoughts you’d like to share with readers?

The Bible says that what you sow is what you reap, and Ugandans need to know that it is a law of nature. If Ugandans want good governance, equality, justice for all, they've got to plant seeds of all those. That is what I can tell Ugandans, plant those good seeds. We have moved across the country and almost 80% of Ugandans especially in the rural areas are struggling and suffering but these are the same people who when the electoral period comes vote back the NRM. They vote General Museveni, NRM MPs and they spend the entire five years crying about how corruption has eaten up the country. They cannot access justice without bribing, no education system, no medicine and they keep crying for five years and then five years end they vote the same people. Isn’t that a form of madness? Ugandans need to know that the opportunity of voting for leadership is not a joke, but one for them to put in place a leadership that is going to drive them to where they want to be. Ugandans have got to know that their vote should be given to quality leaders that think about them. As ANT, we want all Ugandans to know that they have a noble obligation of contributing to this country.

As a political party, we need the resources and money to move around the country, and the people can support this struggle. They can give the party or any organization that they believe in, they need to make a financial contribution to those political parties to be able to do the political work that is necessary for us to build an appropriate system to overwhelm the dictatorship. We need support to go around this country to preach the gospel of transformational change, to build structures.

Lastly, I would urge Ugandans to take it upon themselves to care for their country. Be concerned about the direction the country is taking. Do not leave it to someone else. It is your country. Get involved.

Thank you.

Interview conducted by Simon Nyakoojo for Alliance for National Transformation (ANT).

Give us a little bit of background about you.

To begin with, my name is Abubaker Matanda, and I was born and partly brought up in Bududa district (Eastern Uganda). I was also a product of teenage pregnancy: my parents had me when they were in senior four, so you can imagine the complexities. However, after my birth, my mother left me in the care of my maternal grandparents and returned to school to finish her education. Accordingly, I spent half of my life with my grandparents in Bududa, where I first attended Busamali Primary School and Shikhuyu Primary School, respectively. But when I reached P5, my father, who was ready to assume responsibilities, came and picked me up from our village in Bududa and moved me to Mbale, which is a city in Eastern Uganda. After relocating to town, I had a lot of catching up to do in terms of schooling. This was the most pivotal turning point in my life because I could only communicate fluently in Lugisu at the time but struggled with Luganda and English, which made school life slightly unbearable for me. I caught up and succeeded at my primary school, topping the class in English.

From there, I went to Mbogo Mixed Secondary School for my O-Level, and then to Kibuli Secondary School for my A-Level, where I studied Arts (a blend of History, Economics, Literature, and Islam). I enrolled in the Islamic University of Uganda, where I studied law and graduated. I attended Uganda's LDC (Law Development Centre); a post-graduate and legal practice institution and was able to combine it with a master's degree at the Uganda Christian University. I am currently a lawyer, a conflict resolution practitioner, an Advocate of the High Court enrolled to practice law in Uganda, a constitutional law, history, and human rights lecturer at Uganda's Islamic University, and the Alliance for National Transformation's National Youth Coordinator.

On life changing events:

Being a product of a teenage pregnancy is probably the one life-changing piece of knowledge I walk with. I am using my story to show Ugandan teenagers that teenage pregnancy isn't the end of the road; instead, both the mother and the child can recover from it. While I endured numerous obstacles because of the circumstances in which I was born, the most important lesson I learned was to refrain from taking the same route. I am positive that, while I was first an inconvenience, my father now sees me as a blessing. When comparing the early stages of my life to who I am now as a lawyer and politician, my narrative is a clear example of an individual moving from a situation of "grass to grace." It is never too late to explore second chances and strive toward attaining your aspirations.

What life experiences have led you to feel so passionately about politics? What drew you to join ANT and how did you become the National Youth Leader for the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT)?

This is an intriguing question because, to be honest, I was not particularly interested in politics. I did not believe my personality, temperament, or skills were suited for politics, yet I believe I would do better as a legal practitioner. The question then becomes, why am I in politics?

Since 1962, when Uganda gained her independence, we have been unable to resolve our governance challenges. However, before a society can flourish in other areas, it must first resolve some basic governance challenges, such as administering justice in the courtroom. It was these governance difficulties that compelled my involvement in politics. I believe there is room for improvement in Ugandan politics, as has been shown in other nations. I am in politics to explore methods to resolve these challenges so that we as individuals can freely pursue higher objectives.

To fully comprehend why I joined ANT and how I became its National Youth Coordinator, I must backtrack a bit. During my time at the university, I was extensively involved in student leadership; where I was the president of my university (Islamic University of Uganda), and then from 2014 to 2015, I served as the President of the Uganda National Students Association. These leadership experiences gave me greater understanding of how successful politics can be in transforming individuals and nations. During this time, I was also on the lookout for a political party that shared the same principles that I hold dear: values such as social justice, integrity, transparency, empathy, and discipline. What I found were parties that spoke of these values but were lacking in practice.

When the ANT emerged in 2017, I took note of the leaders, examined their track records and values, and saw that not only was the party aligned with the values I upheld, but they also practiced them. That was when I realized ANT was the party with which I was destined to align myself. While most Ugandans regard politics as a dirty game, I take a contrary position to such remarks. Given Uganda's record of "dirty politics" I think the solution lies in a political system centered on ideas and principles rather than party affiliation and patronage.

I must admit that I was taken aback when it was announced that I had been selected as ANT's National Youth Coordinator. This is since I did not campaign or lobby for that position. When the party was created, they launched a website and invited Ugandans who wanted to join the party to fill out a form. I stated my interest as a person who could help mobilize students, based on my experience as a student leader and the networks I had established. There was no formal election, but the party's promoters simply used some sort of consensus and identification of persons they felt would constitute the interim leadership, and somehow my name came up, they conducted some background checks, reached out to me, and I gladly accepted the role.

I was nervous and reluctant because I had never been a leader in a partisan setting, and I am not confrontational in my demeanor or attitude to life; instead, I enjoy serving as a balancing force. That said, I am excited to have connected myself with ANT because it is the greatest platform that represents values.

Do you believe that your position is relevant in politics? What progress have you made as the youth leader in pressing for amendments in the National Youth Act?

Yes, I believe that my position as National Youth Coordinator is significant in politics. This is attributable to a variety of factors.

First, I was one of the two individuals that nominated our presidential candidate. As a native of Eastern Uganda, I had that delicate balance, which added an interesting spin to the decision-making process. Historically, there have been regional issues in the country, with the Eastern part of the country never producing a president. I believe I brought a blend of youthfulness to the party, given Uganda's youthful population. In addition, I have a fascinating and extensive track record of student leadership. With due humility, I feel I brought to the party and platform vital values and diversity that the party and platform required to promote our ideologies.

Second, I have done my best to leverage my networks and experiences in Youth and Student Leadership to set an example for the rest of Uganda's youth. As an interim leader, I've also been working with the team I lead to establish some core issues, develop best practices, and systems, as our party believes in institutions and systems. My intention is to lay the groundwork and ease the transition for upcoming and potential youth leaders in terms of: how a work plan is drafted, how decisions are made within the party, how we efficiently relate with the mainstream leadership, and how we relate to other political, civil, religious, and cultural leaders.

In terms of advocating for changes to Uganda's National Youth Act, I am a member of the National Youth Council, where I (together with two others) represent my district (Bududa). We've held one national youth gathering so far, and I've come up with ideas for how we might change the face of youth leadership in the country. Although my suggestion was not primarily concerned with amendments, it was concerned with other pertinent issues. Uganda's youth representation law is one of the best in the world, with representation extending from the village to the national level; but execution remains a problem.

When I first entered the council, I proposed three significant initiatives: the first had to do with the Amendment to the National Youth Act made in 2003, to establish youth secretariats in every district and sub-county in Uganda, but nothing has been done about it yet. My recommendation was this government should implement the Amendment immediately, otherwise, the National Youth Council would take government to court. Second, Covid19 has put a halt to our education operations in the country, and it is anticipated that many students would drop out consequently. I urged that the youth council act and recommend to the government that the country's education system be reassessed. Also given Uganda's young population, we don't want the youths to be confined to school; instead, we want them to be released into the real economy to be productive. As part of my proposal, I suggested that the number of years Ugandans spend in school be reduced. Additionally, rather than providing universal formal education, we should provide universal vocational and technical education for school dropouts to help them reintegrate into the economy. Finally, the third recommendation I presented was to consolidate all the scattered youth economic empowerment programs and student loan schemes into a single spine system. It should be a system that is understandable and accessible to all citizens. But although these discussions are still underway, the motion has already been passed by the Youth Council.

Have you facilitated any youth project so far in the ANT, and given the people-centered culture, how have you involved the youth in these projects?

Because personification of politics is part of our country's problem, our party's interim leadership believes in institution and institutionalizing politics. To institutionalize politics, you must be methodical, build effective processes, and give the process time. As a party, we aspire to establish leadership at all levels, from the national level to the sub-counties, and then held elections all the way down to the village level. We began to, and established leadership in all of Uganda's sub-regions, and then moved on to the districts, where we were able to establish them as well. However, as we moved on to the next level (counties), the pandemic broke out, and all duties were suspended and halted. Notably, during the elections, we were able to form a coalition with other Ugandan opposition parties to mobilize young people to participate in the electoral process.

For reasons that are well known, the election result was not pleasant, but we did our best given the circumstances. Equally important, before moving on to the counties, we will conduct a review of our work plan, which originally included activities for each month but was cut short by the pandemic. Caravans, mobilization of youth volunteers, public talks to promote value-based and idea-based politics, celebrating International Youth Day, visits to markets, and organizing marathons are examples of these activities. For the time being, we have decided to resume the building process and organize a meeting to bring all the youth leaders that we had already identified and trained at the district level on board. Also, to bring all youth leaders together and have them approve the draft of the Youth League Constitution, a national and elevated consultative conference of all youth leaders in the country will be organized.

Do you have any mixed feelings or uncertainties regarding the political system in Uganda that you would be willing to share?

To begin with, our political history shows that we have made some progress in terms of having a constitution. For instance, we have managed to hold regular elections every five years since 1996, which is a wonderful thing. Even though the constitution mentions free and fair elections, the ones we have had are not. This demonstrates that the system is riddled with problems, which is why some of us became active in politics.

Additionally, individuals are prioritized over institutions in the system, which makes leaders more powerful than the institutions available. This is indeed a huge problem because there is too much centralization of power in individuals. As if that is not bad enough, the system has clawed back authority and resources, contrary to what was proposed in the early 1990s and adopted in the constitutions in 1995 to decentralize power and resources.

Unfortunately, our political system has become overly military, with everything being decided by the barrel of a pistol. Although, the military’s exclusive role should be safeguarding the country from external threats and preserving the country's territorial integrity, we now have Generals and serving Army Officers as Ministers, the streets always crowded with military personnel carrying guns and tankers, and electoral procedures being handled like military operations. The military has taken over all our freedom squares. However, in order to reform our current political structures, we must remove the military from civic processes and allow people to handle their own affairs. We must place a greater emphasis on institutions rather than individuals. I believe that resolving these main concerns will have a knock-on effect on issues confronting the country.

Is the current government making it easier for the youth to be practically involved in missions that change their lives?

Not at all. Our current system is mostly based on patronage. Given that individuals are valued over institutions and the country is militarized, we do not have freedom. What happens if you don't have any freedom? People (young or old) will never realize their potential. This is because it is freedom that stimulates a population's ingenuity. Structures exist in Uganda, however young people are simply patronized, which is a drawback. I do not believe that the current system permits youths to be practically involved in missions that will allow them to develop their potential.

What principles do you believe the candidate you support stands for, and why are those principles important to you?

The principles that the Alliance for National Transformation represent are embraced and championed by myself and the candidate (Gen. Mugisha Muntu) I support. He is a firm advocate of the virtues of respect and dignity. We are human beings, and we are responsible for creating an environment that allows people to reach their full potential. It is quite rare to witness a member of our party insulting another individual, let alone someone on the opposing side. We believe in equality, justice, and fairness. Since I believe in conflict resolution and social justice, I feel that society owes it to all of its members to ensure that social justice exists. For the most vulnerable, this provides some affirmative action. Besides, anarchy is brought about by the act of abandoning individuals in a society. Therefore, such a structure is necessary for societal peace. As a party, we hold other ideals such as godliness and time awareness. We believe that as a country, we have wasted so much time, and that we must keep time and respect the time of others. The disregard for the value of time, which is a resource that can never be replenished once it is gone, lies at the heart of our many issues.

What inspiration and advice would you give any youth aspiring to follow a similar career path?

To get to where I am now, I had to take on a couple of leadership roles, occupy a few places, and contribute to the achievement of positive goals. I want the youth to understand that there are always second chances. However, you must be willing to embrace your responsibilities. The youth should also read as much as they can because, in my opinion, reading is the ideal method to learn from the mistakes and wisdom of others. They should endeavor to seek out positive role models and individuals to emulate. Personally, when I'm about to go off the rails, I think of my role models (my father, grandpa, General Muntu, and Martin Luther King Jr.) and find renewed determination to keep going. I also believe in always tossing the net and never holding back; there are so many opportunities in the world, but you will never get the chance to have them until you start taking advantage of them. It is my hope that the youths would not be influenced by material possessions. Life is temporary, so we must seek out meaningful experiences and shun pathways that could lead to our demise. What matters most in this life is what you have done for others, not what you have done for yourself. Let us make the best of the limited time we have to make a difference in the lives of those around us.

Interview conducted and written by Gift Enyonam for ANT.

This is a conversation that was conducted to profile Ahurra Ivan Araali (AI), the interim district coordinator of Alliance for National Transformation’s youth league in Bunyangabu District. We gain some insight into his work in the district with a focus on the successes therein. The interview was conducted by Priscilla Kwabea Fianko (PF) via zoom call on Tuesday, 11th October 2022.

Priscilla Fianko: Who is Ahurra Ivan Araali?

Ahurra Ivan: Ahurra Ivan is a passionate young man, driven and inspired to see the good in his society. I believe that the main purpose of my creation is to add to the block of my society. A block that will transform my society from where it is to where it ought to be. I believe that waking up alive every day is the purpose God has set out for me on earth. For a long time, I have grounded my life journey on values of integrity, discipline, hard work amongst others. These values are however a work in progress.

P.F.: What influenced you to join the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT)?

A.I.: The Alliance for National Transformation as the youngest political party in Uganda founded in 2019 is a party that is grounded on values and principles. ANT happens to be my first political party. As a young man, I was looking for a political party which possesses leaders who do not only have good words and not only speak about values, but leaders who go an extra mile to practice what they say and walk the talk. After looking at the country’s political history and critically observing the leaders of ANT, I got inspired by their way of life and political journey. The leaders made themselves available to nurture a new breed of leaders who will transform not only Uganda, East Africa or Africa but the whole world. They have become a model of reference for me.

P.F.: What is your position in the Alliance for national Transformation Youth League in your region?

A.I.: I am the interim district coordinator of Bunyangabu District located in western Uganda. We are one of the youngest districts in Uganda.

P.F.: How have ANT values impacted your role and position as the interim district coordinator?

A.I.: When I joined ANT, I challenged myself to pick a fruit from that tree of leaders in Alliance for National Transformation. As a member, I have learnt that to live on planet earth as a human being, first of all you cannot run from politics. Secondly, since politics is part of our lives, there is the need for political participation which could range from mobilisation to being a member of a political party. The leaders of Alliance for National Transformation perform and practice value- driven politics. My association with ANT gave me a chance and continually gives me the chance to tap into their values and apply them to my life. This has made me a value-driven leader who puts their country before self, a leader that thinks about the people he leads before thinking about himself.

P.F.: How many Alliance for National Transformation Youth League branches are there in Uganda?

A.I.: When Alliance for National Transformation was officially launched as a political party in 2019, we started on an interim basis, using interim leadership as well. We were operating, coordinating and mobilizing from village level to parish level, growing to subcounty level then county level, to district level and finally national level because that is how a country is organized in terms of governance in Uganda. As a party and as a youth league, our desire was to use the structure formulated in the interim youth league and interim leadership of the party to nurture the leaders. Hence, the party started that process and within that provisional period, it had moved to all regions in the country and about eight to nine sub regions. The party had planned to have structures in each district in the country in the interim period but the advent of Covid-19 hindered temporarily stagnated the activity.

P.F.: What is the work of ANT’s Youth league?

A.I.: In ANT, we regard the youth as the engine keeping the political party moving. As John. F Kennedy once said “a society whose young men and women are in a constant state of slumber will never realize her potential”. We believe that in order to achieve that goal, the youth of this country must wake up from their incessant state of slumber and help salvage the country to enable it move forward. The emphasis here is on youths who are value driven and youths who hold their country before self. A critical mass of youth league will help redeem the country and transform the political culture of the country. As ANT, we believe that if this party is to progress and if politics in Uganda can be transformed by ANT, then the youth league must be extremely boosted and highly conscientized. They must also receive education and nurturing which will instill in them a yearning to transform the political culture of this country from where it currently is to where it is supposed to be. For any society to realize its full potential, the youth need to be at the center because they play a critical role in achieving that goal. That is the role of ANT youth league. It is the engine of the party and contributes to the transformation of the country at large.

P.F.: Can you walk me through some of the accomplishments of the youth league in Bunyangabu District?

A.I.: We started our work as the youth in this region around the period of Covid-19 when I had just joined Alliance for National Transformation. That same year (2020), we had youth elections. After becoming a member in June, I received party documents including the policy agenda, constitution of the party, and other information that concerns the party. I consulted the leadership of the party at the regional level and was told at the time that there was not a consistent coordination team at the district level in Bunyangabu District to carry out the parties’ activities. Thus, I offered to volunteer and coordinate those activities. I was then given the position of an active interim district coordinator. During pre- election period, I was contacted by the head office who asked if I could mobilize the youth in the district to participate in those elections. I started reaching out to people, selling to them the agenda of ANT and inviting them to be part of the political party. Fortunately, we received a positive turn out as people were buying into the agenda and accepting to volunteer in disseminating ANT’s agenda. From August to October 2020, I started getting members who accepted to be a part of the party. The month of August was the period for youth elections; however, since we had not covered a large area, we only managed to get seventeen candidates to contest in those youth elections for Bunyangabu District. We did not have the resources because the party was very young and funds were unavailable. So, what we did was to volunteer our time and energies and to use our personal resources to engage in those activities. We mobilized and campaigned intensely because all of the seventeen ANT candidates were contesting against candidates from the ruling party “National resistance Movement” (NRM). We won fourteen seats out of the seventeen we contested for. We lost two to National resistance Movement and one to an independent candidate who now leans towards ANT.

P.F.: What were some of the challenges encountered during the 2020 Youth election?

A.I.: We faced a lot of adversities from the ruling government because they were in charge of the military and police. They individualized and militarized the youth elections. There were three things we faced which also became a lesson to my team and me. First was the weapon of fear. Due to repeated threats, we got through phone calls, our candidates, including myself, felt extremely threatened during the election. When the NRM realized we were not shaken, the intimidation was then extended to parents of the candidates. Parents became petrified and transferred the fear they had received to their children who were the youth contesting in the elections as well as the mobilisers. The second obstacle was the weapon of poverty. We realized that for the thirty-six years of this regime being in power, it had worked so hard to make many Ugandans poor resulting in people losing their self-worth; such that they are willing to give out their voting rights for as little as five hundred shilling, a mere packet of salt, sugar or a bar of soap. In using this weapon of poverty, the NRM brings in money to attract voters or to use it to convince candidates to leave their party. As a young political party, we did not have the money to also counteract this situation. The third challenge experienced was the weapon of propaganda, where baseless information about Alliance for National Transformation was put forward to the public by the ruling government and referring to us as terrorists to discourage people from voting for us. The dictatorship and kleptocratic regime that we were facing used and continues to use these three main factors to hold and stay in power.

P.F.: How did the Youth league in your region overcome these challenges?

A.I.: We were continuously consulting and briefing our party leaders at the head office which included General Mugisha Muntu, Hon. Alice Alaso, Amb. Edith Ssempala and other leaders on what we were facing on the ground. We learnt that in order to counteract the challenges, we had to use these three tools. To impede fear, we had to first of all know what we want and have belief because “fight” is the only thing that beats and opposes fear. Having trust that, despite the severity of the threats and intimidations, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that light will open up chances for us young people to realize our full potential in our nation. The faith of knowing that at the end of what we are pursuing, we have a better country that would be good for us, our parents and future generation. As a result, it was imperative that we continue to create and remind ourselves of the reasons for our battle, which will ultimately grow greater than the fear we were experiencing in that moment.

Secondly, on the weapon of poverty, we did not have enough money or transport for our activities. Sometimes, we had to walk five kilometers to campaign and reach out to the people who were to vote for our youth candidates. Despite this hurdle, we always had the weapon of self-worth in our hearts; knowing that no amount of coin or privileges could buy our conscience. We believe that when we build a better country, there will be no need to cross to another political party to get jobs. The environment itself will create jobs. When there is better leadership in place, it creates an environment whereby irrespective of the political party you come from, you can easily get employment because you have the merit to do that job.

Thirdly on the weapon of propaganda, we overcame that through continuous communication with our members and our candidates; speaking to them, speaking to our parents, speaking to our voters, giving them the truth and practicing what we speak. We did not wait to get elected to show value driven leadership, we were exhibiting those traits even before the election of our members. We also invited our national leader “General Muntu” to talk to some of our parents. This gave them the clear picture of what our political journey was and that helped us to fight against the weapon of propaganda.

P.F.: Do you think that Ugandan Youth as a whole are indifferent about politics?

A.I.: Based on what I have seen happening in Uganda and on what I have experienced in contact and in consultation with my fellow youth, I do not believe that they are indifferent. Rather, I surmise that the youth in Uganda love engaging in politics. They are aware that politics is at the center of human civilization. They believe and understand that it is their responsibility to be part of politics. I have continuously seen a very big number of youths participating in the politics of the country. Notwithstanding, we have politics of deceit, intrigue, politics of intimidation, politics of corruption and politics of lack of transparency to the extent that the youths have concluded that politics is a dirty game. Thus, a critical number of those youths who wish to offer clean leadership have decided to run away from politics and instead keep admiring and offering their views from a distance. When they distance themselves, the fellow youths who are filled with the dirty mind of politics come and occupy the space because nature hates vacuums.

Truthfully when you move around this whole country, you are likely to meet a number of youths who are value driven, who have this country at heart and put the country before self but they tend to shun away from politics based on the general belief that politics is a “dirty game”. That is why as Alliance for National Transformation, specifically the youth league, we have made it our mission, to conscientize the youth, telling them that there is nobody at one point in time that will transform the politics and governance of this country if we who want changes in politics keep running away from it. We do this by reaching out to people in every village of this country, every parish, in every subcounty of this country, in every district of this country and even those living in the diaspora. We actively inform them of the happenings in the country across all our social media pages, interacting with them and telling them to come and be part of this struggle.

P.F.: Any final remarks?

A.I.: The message we have as ANT youth league and ANT as a party is, we the youth must not complain about the darkness engulfing our country. Let us light our candles and influence our neighbors to do the same; candles of discipline, candles of zero tolerance to corruption, candles of value driven politics, candles of leadership that puts country before self. When we all light our candles, lo and behold, the darkness will be chased out of the country and we will have a better nation. That is why our symbol as Alliance for National Transformation in this country is a lighting bulb. It teaches us that each one of us in this country has a responsibility to light that bulb which will eventually chase the darkness out.

P.F.: Indeed, the youth must be at the core of any society's efforts to enable it achieve its greatest potential. Thank you so much for taking time to speak with me. I really appreciate your efforts in making this call a success. Until next time.

Report compiled by Priscilla Kwabea Fianko.