Mao responds to critics
The President General of the Democratic Party-DP Norbert Mao has hit back at his critics on social media after being appointed Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Mao was appointed in an instrument issued by the President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Thursday afternoon July 21, 2022.
Mao is facing the heat for signing joint deal to work with president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, also National Resistance Movement (NRM) boss. The deal is responsible for his latest massive appointment as Minister.
In a post on social media, Mao says he is unbothered and ready to face the fire. He quotes a bible verse against his critics as he prepares to make his case in a political talk show this evening.
On Wednesday, evening, social media was awash with lots of criticism for lying in bed with the NRM and sealing the affair with a marriage.
This is after the two party leaders signed a “cooperation agreement” during a state house meeting.
Mao’s fellow Opposition members have put him on the spot for making a deal with someone he claimed to have no affiliation with.
The opposition National Unity Platform- NUP members are at the forefront of criticism. Shortly after the deal was sealed, NUP Party Spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi described the deal as a marital union.Posting on his socials, Ssenyoyi wrote;
Lewis Rubongoya, the NUP party Secretary general also threw more weight behind the agreement, insinuating Mao was an NRM mole all along.
Mao responds to critics
Betty Nambooze, the Mukono Municipality Mp who has been consistent in her arguments that Mao is an NRM person in opposition clothing also took to her social media platforms from abroad where she is currently on sick leave, receiving treatment.
Nambooze, a former DP member who ditched the party for the famous NUP wrote;
Erias Lukwago the Kampala Lord Mayor who was once the legal advisor of DP but has since crossed to the Forum for Democratic Change writing on his Facebook timeline said the agreement signaled the death of his former party.
“Kitalo nnyo. Born in 1954 and…” Lukwago’s comment on a photo of Mao and Museveni brandishing the signed agreement reads.
Patrick Amuriat Oboi, the President of the Forum for Democratic Change also using his twitter handle said, with the signing of the cooperation agreement, Mao might have ridden a tiger.
“OMG! @norbertmao DP Secretariat, didn’t you ride a tiger only to find yourself in its gut? @FDCOfficial1 will always exercise prudence before signing any new IPOD MoU involving you and @NRMOnline,” Amuriat’s post reads in part.
Dr Kizza Besigye, a veteran opposition leader used only three words to comment on the same photo; “Hmmm! Kale, bye.”
However, besides wide spread criticism from other opposition parties, a section of DP members also seem to disagree with their Party President’s position.
Bayiga Lulume, the MP for Buikwe South and one of a few senior members of the party says he was never consulted before his party agreed to work with Museveni.
Bayiga says when the news broke about the agreement, he reached out to Mao who gave him a snapshot of what is contained in the agreement.
“He told me that he agreed with President Museveni on behalf of DP that he is going to serve as a minister together with another person from the Democratic Party. He also told me that he thinks that he will serve both as a minister and also as the president of our party; something I don’t agree with,” Lulume said.
Another member ,Deo Kiyingi, the former MP for Bukomansimbi says he was shocked about the agreement.
“Since I was not consulted over the matter, I distance myself from such a decision on behalf of my people of Bukomansimbi district where I am the chairperson,” Kiyingi said
He added that they are going to carry out consultations across the country in order to get the party’s new leadership away from Mao.
