By Aggrey Baba
What started as routine political commentary is quickly turning into a war of words, with DP President General, Norbert Mao now dismissing Hon. Ofwono Opondo as a mere jukebox being used to push a paid narrative against his bid for Speaker of the 12th Parliament.
Mao made the remarks on Tuesday, during the Party’s weekly press conference on Balintuma road, while responding to a Mulengera News reporter’s question regarding Opondo’s repeated attacks on the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister’s ambitions of taking charge of the 12th Parliament’s steering wheel.
Opondo, who was recently elected MP for Older Persons in Eastern Uganda, has lately been loudly questioning Mao’s credibility, arguing that he has never truly believed in the NRM. In his recent weekend collumn, the veteran communicator pointed to the period when the party opened its doors to outsiders and critics ahead of the 2026 elections, saying many boarded the yellow bus, but Mao stayed in DP, something he says exposes him as self-seeking and unfit to be Speaker of Parliament under the NRM government.
But Mao isn’t buying any of that.
Instead, he says Opondo is no longer speaking his own mind, but is acting under influence, describing the former government spokesperson as a jukebox, repeatedly playing a message crafted elsewhere.
This is a heavy claim because it introduces the issue of money and hidden interests in the Speaker race, something Mao says is already happening behind the curtains.
He revealed that some of his cheerleaders, especially those who had been vocal online, have suddenly gone quiet. According to Mao, some were paid to stop speaking while others were warned of consequences if they continued backing him.
The Laroo-Pece MP-elect believes the same pressure is shaping voices like Opondo, explaining why his tone has recently changed.
The remarks came at a time when the race for Speaker is heating up, with the incumbent Rt. Hon. Anita Among said to be fighting hard to weaken Mao’s bid and retain the position.
Mao claims there is a wider effort to frustrate his bid, both publicly and quietly, as Among’s camp tries to control the narrative and influence MPs who are the voters in this race.
Still, Mao appears unfazed. In fact, he says he welcomes the attacks, insisting they show he is now a serious factor in the race. He made it clear that he can’t quit now, and he is staying in the contest until the end. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
