Don’t dismiss Mao’s candidacy for Speaker, says Gen Sejusa

KAMPALA - The former Coordinator of Intelligence Services, Gen. (rtd) David Sejusa, has said Justice Minister Norbert Mao’s candidacy for Speaker of the 12th Parliament should not be dismissed.

Sejusa, a former army MP, made the remarks on Friday, March 27, while weighing in on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) decision to invite Mao to address the party’s parliamentary caucus scheduled for May.

The caucus will make the final decision on who will contest against candidates from other political parties in the race for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 12th Parliament.

“This speakership contest is something I have avoided talking about mainly because it’s been a debate about personalities, not ideological, or political philosophy of holders. Because it’s NRM-O’s thing to take, anyway, because of sheer numbers, but the entry of Mao brings in a new interesting dimension,” Sejusa said in a post on X.

He said he finds it strange that people like Ofwono Opondo, the MP-elect for Older Persons in the eastern region, and others casually dismiss Mao.

Mao is among five contenders challenging the incumbent Speaker Anita Among, who has already been endorsed by the NRM’s Central Executive Committee, the party’s top organ, for another term alongside her deputy Thomas Tayebwa.

Sejusa argued that Mao’s candidature introduces two major considerations. “Firstly, he comes with a new constituency not within NRM-O, e.g Hon. Among is already NRM-O, but Mao belongs to an outside constituency; the Opposition forgets whether he is yellow/green orange, etc,” he said.

He noted that in political calculations, those considerations may not matter significantly.

“So, what does NRM-O want to do in these five years? Consolidation, which would amount to diminishing the Opposition space further. Who will help NRM-O do this best: the one already in, or the one out and coming in with a chunk of the Opposition constituency?” he asked.

The second consideration, he said, is regional balance. “Those dismissing Mao's candidature are poor students of Ugandan history and Political algebra,” he said, pointing to a New Vision Online story about NRM inviting Mao to the caucus.

“Things could change, of course, but taking the current status quo, you have a President from the west, have a new Chief Justice from the west, have a Vice President from the east, and a Speaker from the east, a Chief Justice from the north having retired recently... So, who is representing the north now? Gen Moses Ali? Those who dismiss Mao must have failed their algebra at school!”

Opondo wonders

However, in his response via X, Ofwono Opondo questioned what new constituency Mao would bring beyond the NRM and its national chairman, President Museveni’s independent reach.

“Let me ask you, who didn’t fail algebra? We’ve been here before with you, remember 1997/98, and later when you fled to the US, but returned quietly. What new major constituency do you see Mao bringing that’s beyond @NRMOnline and @KagutaMuseveni independent reach? Who helped reach Mao?” he asked Sejusa.

Other contenders in the race for Speaker include Persis Namuganza, the State Minister for Housing, Lydia Wanyoto, Mbale City Woman MP-elect, Alioni Yorke Odria of Aringa South, and Florence Asiimwe Akiiki, Masindi Woman MP.

However, the main contest for the Speaker’s seat is between Among and Mao, with Mao already making a noticeable impact on the race.