Kampala: Uganda’s Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao has said he is receiving growing goodwill and political encouragement to seek the speakership of Parliament, even as he stressed that he has not formally declared his candidacy and is still consulting across party lines, including with the ruling National Resistance Movement.
“The idea of the speakership race has been in the media,” Mao said during a press conference on Tuesday, distancing himself from reports suggesting he had already declared his intentions.
“I can assure you I’m not the source of that kind of thing. I’ve never been afraid to announce any position I’m interested in.”
Mao said the speculation was triggered by media screenshots circulating online, which claimed he had entered what was described as “the hottest race” for the powerful parliamentary post.
“There’s a lot of goodwill whenever my name is mentioned in relation to that position of speaker,” he said. “I feel it when I move on the streets.”
The development comes just days after the Central Executive Committee of the National Resistance Movement l endorsed Anita Annet Among for Speaker of Parliament and Thomas Tayebwa for Deputy Speaker, following a meeting held at State House, Entebbe.
However, the duo would have to go through an election when next Parliament convenes. Sources say several candidates are expected to contest for the top positions in Parliament.
The leader of the Democratic Party, whom many say is supported by top shots in the ruling party, said the scale and breadth of the outreach had surprised him, including from political groups that had previously opposed him.
“I’m meeting people from groups that have been very hostile to me and they are all of a sudden saying, ‘We need to talk, we need to talk,’” Mao said. “The Democratic Party cannot ignore that goodwill and neither can I ignore that goodwill.”
He framed the momentum as part of a broader national desire for a stronger and more accountable legislature.
“There is a hunger in the country for a more accountable Parliament,” Mao said, adding that the public increasingly wants “a people’s house.”
Mao linked that sentiment to the legacy of the late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, whose death in 2022 reshaped Uganda’s parliamentary leadership.
“People remember the unfinished term of the late Jacob Oulanyah,” Mao said.
“By accident he happened to have been my very close friend. So somehow I’m the nearest to him. I’m not him, of course — and I’ll never be — but sometimes you may have a person who reminds you of someone.”
While insisting he has not declared, Mao openly argued that he meets both the formal and informal benchmarks for the role.
“I’ve not even said anything about that position,” he said. “But there’s this outpouring of goodwill by people who want Parliament to have institutional power as opposed to personal power.”
“Number one, I qualify,” Mao added. “Actually, that’s open to any MP. So I have the minimum qualification.”
Beyond eligibility, Mao said the speakership requires deeper attributes.
“People look at the education of a speaker, they look at the experience, they look at the skills — the special skills that a speaker should have,” he said. “Then of course you look at the connections, local and international.”
He emphasized the institutional independence of the office. “A speaker must belong to the Parliament, not to anybody else,” Mao said. “That’s why they say the Speaker of Parliament. The speaker heads an organ.”
Mao said the ruling National Resistance Movement could, in principle, back a Democratic Party candidate for Speaker, citing the existing cooperation agreement between the two parties.
“The day that Jacob Oulanyah died, we were in Seattle with the current Speaker,” Mao said, referring to Anita Among.
“I went to her hotel room and told her, ‘You are the Deputy Speaker. According to the rules of Parliament, if the position of Speaker is vacant, there can be no other business apart from election of Speaker.’”
“I told her, ‘By God’s grace, you are going to ascend to that position,’” Mao said, adding that he urged her to proceed “with all humility.”
As rumors intensified during that period, Mao said some political actors sought to frame his return to Parliament as a strategic move.
“They say, ‘But you know NRM and DP are in partnership, so NRM can support a DP candidate for Speaker,’” he said.
Mao said he has discussed the matter directly with Among. “I told her that if ever the time has come for me to make that announcement, I’ll do it myself,” he said.
Following his declaration as a Member of Parliament–elect, Mao said pressure from colleagues intensified.
“I started getting calls from many of the elected members of Parliament urging me to contest for the position of Speaker,” he said.
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“The idea of the speakership race has been in the media,” Mao said during a press conference on Tuesday, distancing himself from reports suggesting he had already declared his intentions.
“I can assure you I’m not the source of that kind of thing. I’ve never been afraid to announce any position I’m interested in.”
Mao said the speculation was triggered by media screenshots circulating online, which claimed he had entered what was described as “the hottest race” for the powerful parliamentary post.
“There’s a lot of goodwill whenever my name is mentioned in relation to that position of speaker,” he said. “I feel it when I move on the streets.”
The development comes just days after the Central Executive Committee of the National Resistance Movement l endorsed Anita Annet Among for Speaker of Parliament and Thomas Tayebwa for Deputy Speaker, following a meeting held at State House, Entebbe.
However, the duo would have to go through an election when next Parliament convenes. Sources say several candidates are expected to contest for the top positions in Parliament.
The leader of the Democratic Party, whom many say is supported by top shots in the ruling party, said the scale and breadth of the outreach had surprised him, including from political groups that had previously opposed him.
“I’m meeting people from groups that have been very hostile to me and they are all of a sudden saying, ‘We need to talk, we need to talk,’” Mao said. “The Democratic Party cannot ignore that goodwill and neither can I ignore that goodwill.”
He framed the momentum as part of a broader national desire for a stronger and more accountable legislature.
“There is a hunger in the country for a more accountable Parliament,” Mao said, adding that the public increasingly wants “a people’s house.”
Mao linked that sentiment to the legacy of the late Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, whose death in 2022 reshaped Uganda’s parliamentary leadership.
“People remember the unfinished term of the late Jacob Oulanyah,” Mao said.
“By accident he happened to have been my very close friend. So somehow I’m the nearest to him. I’m not him, of course — and I’ll never be — but sometimes you may have a person who reminds you of someone.”
While insisting he has not declared, Mao openly argued that he meets both the formal and informal benchmarks for the role.
“I’ve not even said anything about that position,” he said. “But there’s this outpouring of goodwill by people who want Parliament to have institutional power as opposed to personal power.”
“Number one, I qualify,” Mao added. “Actually, that’s open to any MP. So I have the minimum qualification.”
Beyond eligibility, Mao said the speakership requires deeper attributes.
“People look at the education of a speaker, they look at the experience, they look at the skills — the special skills that a speaker should have,” he said. “Then of course you look at the connections, local and international.”
He emphasized the institutional independence of the office. “A speaker must belong to the Parliament, not to anybody else,” Mao said. “That’s why they say the Speaker of Parliament. The speaker heads an organ.”
Mao said the ruling National Resistance Movement could, in principle, back a Democratic Party candidate for Speaker, citing the existing cooperation agreement between the two parties.
“The day that Jacob Oulanyah died, we were in Seattle with the current Speaker,” Mao said, referring to Anita Among.
“I went to her hotel room and told her, ‘You are the Deputy Speaker. According to the rules of Parliament, if the position of Speaker is vacant, there can be no other business apart from election of Speaker.’”
“I told her, ‘By God’s grace, you are going to ascend to that position,’” Mao said, adding that he urged her to proceed “with all humility.”
As rumors intensified during that period, Mao said some political actors sought to frame his return to Parliament as a strategic move.
“They say, ‘But you know NRM and DP are in partnership, so NRM can support a DP candidate for Speaker,’” he said.
Mao said he has discussed the matter directly with Among. “I told her that if ever the time has come for me to make that announcement, I’ll do it myself,” he said.
Following his declaration as a Member of Parliament–elect, Mao said pressure from colleagues intensified.
“I started getting calls from many of the elected members of Parliament urging me to contest for the position of Speaker,” he said.
He ackno