Sir Norbert Mao is dancing high to the skies after emerging victorious in the Democratic Party (DP) presidential race and getting a fourth term amidst all comedy and drama.
Mao is the new president of the Democratic Party after walking away with only 969 votes, thumping his challengers including Dr. Lulume Bayiga with only 339 votes and Alitia Elia with 52votes.
We have highly established that Sir Nobert Mao’s re-election has not been a smooth road to the promised land again following a battle-field with new faces ‘coming up’ to warm the juicy seat at the Democratic Party.
The electoral process was clouded with smoke of ‘rowdy’ democrats within the party plus accusations of greed and selfishness from long serving members.
Dr Lulume tried to push Sir Nobert Mao on the wall to ‘step down’ following lots of internal squabbles plus weakening the Democratic Party and working with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of the NRM party.
President Museveni appointed Sir Nobert Mao as Justice & Constitutional Affairs Minister in 2022 to dine with him and he went silent.
“For a man who once stood as a strong opposition figure, serving in Museveni’s cabinet raises serious questions about his loyalty to the party,” one party delegate said during the congress.
Some delegates also raised concerns about the fairness of the internal elections, saying the playing field was not level.
Allegations of favoritism and manipulation of party structures surfaced, although no formal complaints were filed.
In his post-election remarks, Mao dismissed the criticism and framed his collaboration with the NRM as a “patriotic decision” meant to influence reforms from within the system. He urged party members to set aside their differences and work together to revitalize the DP.
Despite the tensions, Mao now faces the task of uniting a fractured party, regaining public trust, and proving that the Democratic Party still has a place in Uganda’s political landscape.
And since 2010, Norbert Mao’s leadership has been marked with lots of controversies to the recent party delegates’ conference in Mbarara & knocking Salim Saleh’s doors.
Norbert Mao anticipated that staunch DP members would appreciate his decision to take them to money bags Saleh.
Mao’s attempt to disqualify one Richard Sebamala, citing a constitutional rule requiring 10 years of active party membership or five years on the National Executive Committee (NEC) was seen by many as a desperate move to cling on power.
Sebamala’s relentless mobilization, unyielding energy, and grassroots focus were positioned to end of Mao’s tenure and start new era in the democratic history
Kampala city legal practitioner Mukasa Mbidde will be vice president in the new Democratic Party affairs
