By Mulengera Reporters
On Saturday, the Justice & Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao appeared on Kabaka’s BBS Terefayina TV where he gave his views on a lot of things.
To his credit, the moderator Kaddu Mukasa did a good job; asking all the right questions and allowing his guest time to elaborately develop his thoughts.
The controversial tweets by the CDF Gen MK was one of the many elephants in the room Mao was called upon to speak to.
Open-minded and fearless as always, Mao said he had done his part by unambiguously calling out Gen MK especially on the torture acts Bobi Wine’s body guard Eddie Mutwe is supposed to have endured in his basement.
Mao said that he considered all this lawlessness to be abominable and raised a red flag which the President, being the CiC, should leverage to have his tweeting son sanctioned. “As Justice & Constitutional Affairs Minister, I’m like the linesman on the football pitch. I can only raise the flag to get the attention of the referee to where the problem is. That’s all I can do and I can’t enter the pitch.”
Mao said this MK matter is something even some Ministers have registered their concerns about during Cabinet sessions except that such discussions are confidential and the media is always excluded.
In contrast, Mao who has been DP President for 15 years, said Parliament is better placed to lead the people of Uganda in pushing back against Gen MK.
He said its possible for Parliament to do this without being misunderstood by the President or even without being disrespectful of the CDF who earlier this year registered his contempt by saying that place called Parliament is full of clowns who can’t do anything to him.
Mao said that instead of getting cowed and backing off, the Speaker should give leadership to Parliament in standing up to Gen MK for and on behalf of the ordinary Ugandans.
He said that MPs or the Legislature has more than enough leverage to cripple Gen MK and cut him to side because as CDF, he is a public official who operates using public funds or money that is appropriated by Members of Parliament as the representatives of the people.
Mao, who was MP for 10 years (1996-2006), suggested that Parliament can for instance legitimately refuse to appropriate, pass or allocate any money to the Defense Ministry where Gen MK serves as CDF from. Mao said this is one-way Parliament can register its displeasure and he is certain the move can be effective.
Admitting that taking such a move would invite real serious trouble for the Speaker who would end up being misunderstood by the President, Mao said that taking on a colossus like Gen MK will naturally require a presiding officer of the legislature “with a real backbone.” He stressed this is why being Speaker should never be a job of the faint-hearted.
Mao added that there is need for Parliament to have a special session to discuss the CDF Gen MK’s commissions and omissions. He said at Cabinet level, some Ministers have spoken out and registered their concerns or displeasure except that the media is always excluded from such sessions, unlike Parliament whose plenary sessions are broadcast live on TVs and social media platforms. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
