KAMPALA – Norbert Mao, the Chairman-General for Uganda’s oldest opposition political party, Democratic Party – DP has on Wednesday taken oath as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
The swearing-in ceremony was presided over by President Museveni at the State House, Entebbe.
Mao’s appointment follows his agreement with Museveni, also Chairman of the ruling party, NRM.
At the event, Museveni said, “The appointment today is in two categories. Beatrice Akello was one of my most favourable RDCs and she did a very good job. She was one of the most successful RDCs in managing her district. She is one of the young people coming up. There was a different logic behind Mao’s appointment. He has his own capabilities as a leader his appointment is part of the NRM efforts to make Uganda a stable and strong country,” he said.
The President gave an in-depth background of Uganda’s political history and said the country has had four attempts by patriots trying to unite the people of Uganda including Ignatious K. Musaazi and the Uganda National Congress Party which later cracked up to create the Democratic Party for Catholics and the UPC for Protestants. Later the Kabaka yekka party came up.
“All these were mistakes of not achieving broad unity. They fragmented the people. That was the first attempt by UNC but it didn’t succeed,” he said.
President Museveni said in 1979 that when Uganda National Liberation Front (UNLF) a political group which exiled Ugandans formed as opposed to the rule of Idi Amin, it had the same ideas but it broke up creating another season of fighting. However, when the NRA came in 1986, it said the problems that need to be solved were the same including infrastructure development, health care, education etc.
“We formed resistance councils and people joined on a none tribal base. The broad-based government in 1986 helped achieve peace,” he said.
