Speaker race: NRM invites Mao to address party caucus

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The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has invited Justice Minister Norbert Mao to address the party’s parliamentary caucus due in May.

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

This follows the decision by the NRM’s central executive committee (CEC) to endorse the incumbent Speaker Anita Among and her deputy Thomas Tayebwa for a new term.

Earlier today (March 25), Emmanuel Dombo, the director of information and publicity at the NRM secretariat, confirmed that Mao is on the guest list.

“Honourable Mao is among the people who have been invited and may even either make a presentation related to his ministry or the side he represents in the politics of Uganda," Dombo said in a telephone interview with this reporter. 

He further stated, “Honourable Mao signed a cooperation agreement with the NRM national chairman, and that agreement does not stop him from attending the organs of the party like the parliamentary caucus, which should be done on invitation. The specific role he will play will only be confirmed after the approval of the final program next week." 

Mao eager to speak

Mao, who is the Laroo-Pece Division MP-elect, said in a TV interview on Wednesday that he had requested to address the ruling party caucus. 

“I have even requested that I would like to speak to the caucus and even attend the retreat in Kyankwanzi. I do believe that if we are to go forward, we need an honest conversation, and of course, I expect that we shall have that conversation with the President of Uganda, who is the national chairman of NRM,” he said.

He argued that the problems of DP still remain opportunism and indiscipline. “These problems are compounded by the political context in which we operate. Remember, Uganda is not as free a society as one would want. It was always very difficult to organise,” Mao said.

“Now, people who call themselves democrats don’t believe in supporting what is supported by the majority. These are the contradictions that I’m dealing with, but overall, I remain optimistic about the future of the Democratic Party.”

It emerged early this month that President Yoweri Museveni had signed a CEC resolution endorsing the duo to retain their seats on February 20, 2026.

In line with the precedence, Among and Tayebwa's names will now be forwarded to the NRM Parliamentary Caucus for their adoption as party candidates on the floor of Parliament after the swearing-in ceremony of the new legislators between May 13 and May 15.

The race has so far attracted five other legislators, including Mao Persis Namuganza (housing state minister), Lydia Wanyoto (Mbale City Woman MP-elect), Alioni Yorke Odria (Aringa South) and Florence Asiimwe Akiiki (Masindi Woman).

All these were elected on the NRM ticket, save for Namuganza, who stood on an independent ticket after crying foul in the ruling party primaries.

However, the main battle over this seat is between Among and Mao, who has so far had a significant impact on the campaign.

Mao, 59, made a political move on July 20, 2022, that surprised many when he signed a working cooperation agreement with the NRM on behalf of DP as a way of having greater leverage.

This formal agreement was the first of its kind in Uganda and saw Mao, a former fierce critic of Museveni, appointed minister the following day.

It also saw NRM use its numerical superiority as a constituency to have DP secretary general Gerald Siranda elected as one of the country’s nine representatives to the Arusha-based East African Legislative Assembly.

“In AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia), all the parties wear the uniforms of their respective countries, but they have a common goal. I am wearing the DP uniform in the NRM army for the goal of uniting Uganda,” Mao said recently while featuring on one of the evening TV talk shows in Kampala.