By Aggrey Baba
Immediately after he declared his bid for the Speakership of the 12th Parliament following his victory as Laroo-Pece MP, Democratic Party (DP) president Norbert Mao faced unexpected resistance from within his own camp.
His deputy Fred Mukasa Mbidde quickly came out and publicly challenged the bid, declaring that Mao was not the right candidate for the position. The former EALA lawmaker went further and openly endorsed incumbent Speaker Anita Annet Among of the NRM.
Mbidde argued that DP’s numerical strength in Parliament (standing at only 6 MPs) can’t match the NRM’s overwhelming numbers of over 400 legislators (including independents who are NRM leaning). In his view, Mao’s bid was like entering a race already decided, and he advised him to instead back Among, especially under the existing cooperation arrangement between DP and the NRM.
Soon after, DP Secretary General and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Gerald Siranda also broke ranks and endorsed Among, and even went further to describe Among as his political godmother, crediting her for playing a pivotal role in his successful bid for the EALA position.
But rather than hitting back, Mao, on Tuesday, while addressing the press at the party headquarters on Balintuma road in Kampala chose a path of restraint and composure.
Speaking on the matter, Mao said he has stood with both Mbidde and Siranda through their political journeys, both as a party leader and as a friend. Visibly disappointed, the DP leader recalled how he supported them in their respective bids, even when the circumstances were not in their favour.
He cited the 2021, where Mbidde contested for the Nyendo-Mukungwe seat against Mathias Mpuuga of NUP, revealing that Mbidde at the time placed campaign billboards featuring both his portrait and that of Robert Kyagulanyi, despite Kyagulanyi being a presidential candidate from a rival party (NUP).
When questioned about the move, Mao said Mbidde explained that it was a strategy to win over voters in Masaka, where Kyagulanyi had strong support. Mao said he didn’t stand in his way and instead allowed him to proceed, hoping it would help his chances.
However, events turned differently when Kyagulanyi later campaigned in Masaka and openly backed Mpuuga, leaving Mbidde politically stranded and eventually losing the race.
On Siranda, Mao said he personally invested effort to ensure he secured the EALA position, only for him to now turn around and support the Bukedea woman MP.
Despite all this, Mao said he is not losing sleep over what many would call betrayal, likening politics to a long journey where not everyone who starts with you reaches the final destination and that leadership requires a steady hand even when the winds are blowing against you.
He also described the current situation as a test of character, saying real leadership is about staying focused even when arrows are coming from your own camp.
Mao emphasized that neither Mbidde nor Siranda are voters in the Speakership race, noting that the final decision lies with MPs, not them.
In a move that further underscored his calm approach, Mao revealed that youth leaders under the Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) had planned to block the two from accessing party headquarters in protest. However, he said he personally intervened and stopped the angry youth.
“I told them to stand down because the two are still members of DP and they have a right to their views,” Mao said.
He maintained that he still holds no grudge against the two, saying he continues to regard them as part of the DP family and will keep working with them despite their current position.
“I still love them and I will always fight for them no matter what,” Mao Added. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
