A political storm is brewing within Uganda’s ruling establishment after Norbert Mao accused Speaker Anita Among of disrespecting President Yoweri Museveni, following her remarks about “guests” seeking to enter what she described as the “NRM bedroom” — in reference to the speakership of Parliament.
Mao, the newly elected Member of Parliament for Laroo-Pece and President General of the Democratic Party (DP), is challenging Among for the Speaker position. He is in attendance at the National Resistance Movement (NRM) retreat in Kyankwanzi District as a guest of President Museveni, who also serves as National Chairman of the National Resistance Movement.
Responding to Among’s remarks, Mao framed the issue not merely as a personal slight, but as a matter of respect toward the President himself.
“I was actually shocked to see the holder of such a dignified office going to the gutters. First and foremost, I’m a guest of the National Chairman of the NRAM. I’m not an intruder,” Mao said.
He emphasized that his presence at the retreat was neither accidental nor inappropriate, but based on a formal cooperation agreement between DP and NRM.
“True, I don’t belong to the NRM, but we have got a written cooperation agreement,” Mao stated.
Mao took particular issue with the suggestion that his bid for Speaker amounted to trespassing within the ruling party.
“Now, to make a statement that for Norbert Mao, who is a leader of the Democratic Party, and who is the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of the Republic of Uganda, to aspire to be Speaker of Parliament amounts to intruding or trespassing in the NRAM bedroom. Surely, that is beneath the dignity of someone who holds the high office of Speaker,” he said.
The Laroo-Pece MP-elect argued that the speakership is governed by constitutional qualifications and parliamentary support, not party exclusivity.
“It is important to know that there are qualifications for Speaker of Parliament… But to be elected, you need the support of the majority of the Members of Parliament, and the NRM has the majority. My only case is, I should be on the short list,” Mao explained.
“I should be vetted like any other aspirant. After all, I already sit in the Cabinet, where I also sit by invitation, by appointment of the President. Now, that was not only bad politics, it was bad manners.”
Mao then grounded his argument in cultural norms, invoking the respect traditionally accorded to guests in Ugandan society.
“The head of the family knows who he invites. Actually, when I was young, there were many times I was forced to leave my bed for visitors, yet I was the child of the home. In our society, guests are highly respected,” he said.
The remarks elevate the dispute from a contest over parliamentary leadership to a broader question of respect within the NRM’s internal hierarchy, where President Museveni’s authority remains central.
Mao also addressed his reported removal from the list of speakers at the retreat, downplaying its significance.
“Worse still, I was supposed to speak, but I don’t mind that my name has been removed. Understand Andrew Mwenda’s name was also removed, and a few other people. I really don’t mind,” he said, referring to journalist Andrew Mwenda.
“I have many platforms. But this is a time-bound contest, and after the contest, we need each other to build our country.”
He cautioned against escalating tensions, noting that the retreat’s guidelines discourage open campaigning.
“So, I totally object to that kind of approach that is beneath me, and that’s why in my social media post, I responded by saying, you know, this is not just bad politics, it’s bad manners, and I’m a guest of the National Chairman on invitation, and anybody who insults me has insulted the person who has invited me,” Mao said.
In remarks that have sparked further debate, Mao also drew attention to Among’s political journey.
“But more importantly, she also knows where she came from. I think you would say that at least me, I’m a guest. Now, what about a refugee? There’s a difference between a guest and a refugee,” he said.
The “refugee” comment is widely seen as a reference to Among’s past in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), an opposition party, before her move to the NRM — where she has since risen rapidly to become Second National Vice Chairperson, effectively the third most powerful figure in the ruling party.
Mao urged a return to civility and adherence to established rules.
“But for now, that’s all I really want to say. Let us keep this thing clean. After all, the rules even forbid campaigning. What the rules encourage us to do is just to speak about our qualifications. Which I have, but it is up to the head of the household,” he said.
He reinforced his argument by emphasizing the central authority of President Museveni within the party.
“It is the father who knows his children. It is not another child who tells the father that these are our children or these are not our children. Who are you to tell your father who your brothers and sisters are? It is your father to tell you that this is your brother or this is your sister. So, definitely that statement was beneath someone who holds such a high office,” Mao added.
He also made a blunt assessment of the tone of the incumbent speaker’s comments. “Extremely undignified, uncalled for, really gutter politics.”
He went further to directly suggest that Among was insulting the authority of President Museveni through her comments.
“And anybody who insults a guest, insults the host. So, anybody who insults me, who has been invited by the President, who is also the National Chairman of the NRM, is basically insulting the President of Uganda. I’m not an intruder.”
Among, who is seeking to retain her position as Speaker, enjoys considerable backing within the NRM. First son and military chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has begged Norbert Mao to quit the speaker race for a bigger position, amplifying calls for Mao to be appointed vice president, as reported Here, There and Over There.
Mao has also described Among as an “accidental Speaker,” pointing to her election following the death of former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah — a close associate of Mao — rather than a long, conventional rise through parliamentary leadership. Anita Among has previously responded to the accidental speaker ‘label.’ (See Details Here and There).
Meanwhile, Norbert Mao has labelled Anita Among a badly mannered adopted child, and asked her who she is to tell Museveni who should or shouldn’t enter his bedroom, even as a retired UPDF general said that parliament is simply a dining hall where eaters gather and not the bedroom of the NRM. (See Details Here, There and Over There).
