Justice Minister and also Democratic Party Norbert Mao has accused organisers of the ruling National Resistance Movement( NRM) parliamentary retreat of blocking him and political commentator Andrew Mwenda from addressing delegates, in a move that has deepened tensions around the race for Speaker.
The development comes amid an escalating clash between Mao and Speaker Anita Annet Among, whose recent remarks likening the Speakership to a “bedroom” reserved for NRM insiders have drawn sharp criticism.
Mao, 58 who is attending the retreat under a cooperation agreement DP has with the ruling party, claims he had been scheduled to speak ,but was struck off the programme without explanation, alongside Mwenda, a vocal critic of the Speaker.
“I was actually shocked to see the holder of such a dignified office going to the gutters,” Mao said, responding to Among’s outbursts.
“To suggest that my aspiration amounts to trespassing in the NRM bedroom is beneath the dignity of the Speaker.”
The minister framed his exclusion from the programme as part of a broader attempt to limit dissenting voices within the retreat, particularly from figures questioning the status quo in the Speakership race.
Mwenda
Mwenda,54 who has in recent months openly accused Among of corruption and consolidation of power within Parliament, was also reportedly blocked from addressing the gathering, reinforcing perceptions of a tightening space for alternative views.
Mao insisted he was not an outsider but a legitimate participant invited into government by President Museveni.
“I’m a guest of the National Chairman of the NRM. I’m not an intruder,” he said. “I sit in Cabinet by invitation of the President. Anybody who insults me is basically insulting the President.”
Invoking cultural norms, Mao added: “In our society, guests are highly respected. And anybody who insults a guest insults the host.”
The incident has amplified political fault lines at Kyankwanzi, where the Speakership contest is increasingly exposing tensions between party control and broader coalition politics.
Mao has positioned himself as a transformative candidate, urging a clean contest focused on merit rather than exclusion.
“Let us keep this thing clean. The rules forbid campaigning. What we should do is speak about our qualifications, which I have,” he said, adding that the final decision rests with President Museveni who is chairperson of NRM which has numerical strength in the House .
The blocking of both Mao and Mwenda is likely to fuel debate within the retreat, where more than 400 NRM and NRM-leaning MPs are weighing their options ahead of the 12th Parliament.
Despite the sharp rhetoric, Mao struck a conciliatory tone, warning against lasting divisions.
“After the contest, we need each other to build our country,” he said.