By Musira Tom
Hon. Norbert Mao, Uganda’s Minister of Justice and constitutional affairs, is such a gifted orator. Mao will always impress when it comes to speech delivery at public functions.
He will never leave you dozing because his messages are enriched with a high sense of humour. At the peak of the DP leadership crisis, he addressed a press conference at which he condemned some of his colleagues for associating with other parties.
He compared them to watermelons, which have a green top surface yet with a red inside structure. And when a section of veteran DP leaders defected to NUP, he seemed unbothered. He compared them to wild cats, which choose to depart from their home to live in the bush. On the other hand, He praised the section of loyal DP leaders, whom he compared to obedient children who understand their roots and parental history.
It’s likely that Mao’s talent in speech has been supportive in giving him greater exposure and visibility. His command of English is indeed impeccable.
He excelled for years as he appeared as a debater on the weekly Frontline TV show, aired by NBS TV for some years. His regular presence would often make the show lively, which made him popular among several viewers.
Mao trained as a lawyer.
He once formed a Kampala -based legal firm, in partnership with the late Hon.Jacob Oulanya, in the late 90s. It was named, Owor, Mao and Oulanyah Company Advocates Ltd.
However, the project was affected by the engagement of both directors in the pursuit of political ambitions.
Meanwhile, Oulanyah represented Omoro constituency twice as an MP. He later defected from UPC and joined NRM, from where he later reaped a fortune through being elected speaker of the 11th parliament.
It was really frustrating for Oulanyah to die at a time when he seemed headed for bigger things, as his political career approached a climax. Many believe that had Oulanyah been alive, the scandals and disgrace linked to the leadership of the 11th parliament wouldn’t have emerged.
Mao was close to the late Aggrey Awori, who was MP for Samia-bugwe South in the 6th parliament. They jointly formed the National Progressive Party around the year 2000. However, the party suffered a stillbirth when Awori later defected to NRM.
Awori’s decision earned him a reward through appointment as the state minister for ICT. Awori died in July 2021, aged 82 years and at a time when the world faced the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mao served as MP for Gulu municipality before the stint as Gulu district LCV Chairman. It was a surprise for Mao to settle for district headship, as opposed to continuing with parliamentary work, where his acumen, experience, and talent seemed more relevant.
Mao has contested in the presidential elections on the DP ticket thrice but emerged unsuccessful. He settled at the DP headquarters, as party president, from where he addressed weekly press conferences, which accorded him great publicity.
Fortune came Mao’s way after his appointment as Justice minister and following the signing of the DP-NRM cooperation agreement. The agreement put him at risk of denting his image and credentials as a democrat since many viewed this action as a contradiction.
However, Mao defended this with the declaration that the agreement was strategic in facilitating a power transition framework, in which he would closely engage the president in discussions.
Some of Mao’s critics made fun of the agreement by wondering whether the DP MPs would sit on the opposition side or on the ruling party side of parliament. The rest is now history.
Mao plays his cards well. He made an attempt at the speakership race, which drew him into clashes with Anita Among by then.
It happened at a time when Anita seemed safe and headed for re-election as speaker. Mao’s ability to be strategic will often turn matters in his favour. He has also positioned himself as a Northern region influential figure.
It’s little wonder that Mao bounced back into a senior cabinet role.
