What was meant to be a disciplined gathering of ruling party legislators at the National Resistance Movement (NRM) retreat in Kyankwanzi quickly spiraled into a fierce and deeply personal political clash, as Speaker of Parliament and Justice Minister traded sharp blows in a confrontation that has dramatically raised the stakes in the race for Speaker.
The spark came during Anita Among’s presentation to newly elected MPs at the leadership institute, when she referred to Norbert Mao, who also serves as Democratic Party president and is eyeing the same powerful seat, as an “intruder” in the NRM.
The remark cut through the hall, instantly reframing the contest as a battle over legitimacy and belonging within the ruling party’s inner circle.
Mao, who had been invited as a speaker at the retreat, did not let the charge pass. In a tense sideline interview with journalists, he came out swinging, rejecting the label and defending his presence as both lawful and sanctioned at the highest level.
“I was in fact shocked to see the holder of a dignified office going to the gutters. First and foremost I’m a guest of the National Chairman of the NRM. I am not an intruder. True I don’t belong to NRM but we have got a written cooperation agreement,” he said.
His response quickly escalated into a broader rebuke of Among’s conduct, questioning the propriety of her remarks and the tone she had set. He argued that framing his ambition as trespass into NRM territory diminished the dignity of the Speaker’s office itself.
To him, the suggestion that a Justice Minister and party leader could not aspire to the speakership without being branded an outsider was both politically shallow and institutionally dangerous. “To aspire to be Speaker of Parliament amounts to intruding or tresspassing in the NRM bedroom, surely that’s beneath the dignity of someone who holds high office of Speaker,” Mao said.
Even as he pushed back, Mao anchored his argument in political reality, acknowledging the numerical strength of the NRM while insisting on fairness in the process.
“My only case is, I should be on the shortlist, I should be vetted like any other aspirants. After all I already sit in cabinet where I also sit by invitation by appointment of the president,” he added, presenting himself as a legitimate contender with the required qualifications.
But the confrontation was far from over. Mao sharpened his tone, accusing Among of abandoning decorum in favor of what he described as crude political attacks. “Now that was not only bad politics, it was bad manners. The head of the family knows who he invites,” he said, invoking cultural values to underline his point.
Drawing from personal experience, he recalled how, as a child, he would give up his own bed for visitors, emphasizing the deep respect accorded to guests in African society.
That cultural argument became central to his defense, and his counterattack.
“So, anybody who insults me who has been invited by the president, who is also the national chairman of NRM, is basically insulting the President of Uganda. So I totally object to that kind of approach beneath me,” Mao said, framing the dispute as not just personal but an affront to President himself.
In a move that further intensified the clash, Mao turned the spotlight back on Among’s own past, delivering a pointed and controversial remark that drew audible reactions.
“But most importantly, she knows where she came from. At least you would say I am a guest, now what about a refugee? There is a difference between a guest and a refugee. Let’s keep this thing clean after all even the rules forbid campaigning. The rules only encourage us to speak about our qualifications which I have,” he said.
“Who are you to tell your father who your brothers and sisters are? Its your father to tell you this is your brother or this is your sister,” he noted, reinforcing his argument that such judgments rest with the party’s top leadership, not individual actors.
Mao’s noted that Among’s remarks ware were “extremely undignified, uncalled for, and real gutter politics.”
