By Aggrey Baba
On the backdrop of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) dismissing reports of negotiations for Dr Kizza Besigye’s release as New Vision propaganda, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao has confirmed that President Yoweri Museveni directed his brother Gen. Salim Saleh to engage all parties with a stake in the lives of the detained opposition leader and former Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago in search of a broader, long-term solution.
Mao dropped the revelation on Tuesday while responding to a question from a Mulengera News journalist during the weekly press conference at the Democratic Party headquarters, where the minister was asked about the reported Saleh-led initiative and whether he had visited Besigye and Lukwago, with whom he shares a longstanding political relationship. In fact the journalist equated the relation between Lukwago and Mao to that of brothers or political son and father.
The exchange began on a lighter note, with the journalist playfully complimenting Mao on his smart appearance and telling him that his absence had been felt in Uganda’s political space. But the question quickly turned serious, putting the minister on the spot over reports of quiet efforts to resolve Besigye’s predicament.
Mao confirmed that the initiative was not simply a rumour, saying Saleh and other people involved were acting on Museveni’s instructions to pursue a solution beyond the courtroom.
“The people involved in that small house are acting on the direction of the President, who wants a broader and a longer-term solution, which the court cannot provide,” Mao said.
His remarks come amid a sharp contradiction between the government minister’s account of the initiative and PFF’s public position on the alleged negotiations.
In a recent interview with Mulengera News, PFF spokesperson Harold Kaija dismissed the reports as New Vision propaganda, insisting that neither Besigye, his family nor the party had been approached over the supposed talks.
The interview, conducted by journalist Aggrey Baba, also saw Kaija reject the idea of negotiating for Besigye’s freedom, arguing that the PFF leader was innocent and being politically persecuted.
Kaija’s position raises questions about who Saleh and his team have actually contacted, especially if the people whose interests the discussions are intended to address have not been brought on board.
Mao, however, said the process was sensitive and difficult, with those involved having to endure public criticism while pursuing what he described as a national interest.
He indicated that the most delicate conversations were taking place behind closed doors and should remain private, likening the process to a traditional marriage in which only a select group enters the house to handle the deeper negotiations.
The minister said the ultimate objective was to bring together everyone with a stake in Besigye’s and Lukwago’s lives and establish common ground, rather than leave the matter entirely to the courts.
But he did not disclose who had already been approached, whether any proposals had been presented to Besigye’s family or PFF, or whether the discussions had produced any agreement.
Mao also did not directly answer whether he had personally visited Besigye and Lukwago, as the journalist had asked.
He stressed that the political initiative should not be mistaken for an attempt to halt the legal process, saying court proceedings must continue while medical decisions remain in the hands of doctors.
The minister’s comments therefore point to a parallel political effort intended to achieve a broader settlement, even as the judicial process continues. But until the people at the centre of the matter confirm that they have been contacted, the precise reach and progress of the reported talks remain unclear.
Mao has, for now, confirmed that Museveni directed Saleh to engage the relevant stakeholders. PFF, through Kaija, maintains that the party and Besigye’s immediate circle have not been approached and that there is no basis for bargaining over a case it considers politically motivated.
Leaving the critical question hanging over the initiative, whether the process described by Mao as a search for common ground can succeed if the opposition side says it has not even been invited to the table. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
