Kyankwanzi, Uganda: A sharp war of words erupted at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi on Thursday after Democratic Party (DP) President Norbert Mao hit back at Hon Anita Annet Among over remarks widely interpreted as an attempt to shut out non-NRM actors from the race for Speaker of Parliament.
The exchange, which unfolded in the presence of President Yoweri Museveni and several National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders and newly-elected legislators, signalled escalating tensions ahead of the 12th Parliament Speakership contest.
Earlier in the day, while addressing participants at the retreat, Hon Among, who is also Bukedea Woman MP, drew a controversial analogy likening the Speakership to a “bedroom,” warning that political cooperation should not be mistaken for entitlement to top positions.
“We do cooperate with different political parties, but the cooperation does not mean that if we are cooperating, you come up to my bedroom. You remain in the compound. You don’t come up to the bedroom. The bedroom this time around is the Speakership. You cannot cooperate to the tune of Speakership,” Hon Among said.
Mao Fires Back: “This Is Gutter Politics”
Responding to Ms Among, Mao, speaking to journalists after the day’s retreat, described the incumbent speaker’s remarks as undignified and politically inappropriate, insisting that his ambitions are legitimate under Uganda’s constitutional framework.
“I was actually shocked to see the holder of such a dignified office going to the gutters,” Mao said. “First and foremost, I’m a guest of the National Chairman of the NRM. I’m not an intruder.”
The DP President General emphasised that his presence within government is anchored in the formal cooperation agreement between the Democratic Party and the NRM, which led to his appointment as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
“We have got a written cooperation agreement. To suggest that my aspiration to be Speaker amounts to trespassing in the NRM ‘bedroom’ is beneath the dignity of someone who holds that office,” he added.
Mao argued that the Speakership is not reserved for a single political group, but is instead determined by parliamentary majority support.
“There are qualifications for Speaker of Parliament, and I have all of them. To be elected, you need the support of the majority of MPs, and the NRM has that majority. My only case is that I should be on the shortlist and vetted like any other aspirant,” Mao said.
“Insulting a Guest Is Insulting the Host”
To further nail his message to the intended target, Mao framed the dispute within cultural and political norms of hospitality at home, warning that dismissive rhetoric towards him reflects poorly on the broader leadership.
“In our society, guests are highly respected. Anybody who insults a guest insults the host,” he said. “Anyone 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.”
“Who are you to tell your father who your brothers and sisters are? It is your father who tells you that this is your brother or this is your sister. So, definitely, that statement was beneath someone who holds such a high office. Extremely undignified, uncalled for,” Mao added.
He further contrasted his position as a “guest” with what he described as others’ political journeys. “At least me, I’m a guest. Now, what about a refugee? There’s a difference between a guest and a refugee,” he said, without directly naming the Speaker.
The confrontation between the two top contenders for the Speakership position marks one of the most direct public clashes between senior political actors within the NRM-led arrangement and its cooperating partners.
Kyankwanzi retreats have historically been platforms for internal consensus-building within the ruling party. However, Thursday’s exchange suggests growing friction over power-sharing, particularly regarding Parliament leadership, one of the most influential positions in Uganda’s governance structure.
Mao also criticised what he described as premature campaigning and personal attacks, noting that existing guidelines discourage overt lobbying during such retreats. “This is a time-bound contest. After the contest, we need each other to build our country. Let us keep this clean and focus on qualifications,” he said.
With President Museveni at the centre of both actors’ legitimacy, Among as a key NRM figure and Mao as a cooperation partner, the unfolding contest places the Head of State in a pivotal balancing role.
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