Dear President Museveni,
Why Mao is best Civilian Commander to lead war on ‘adui’ Corruption in Parliament Your Excellency, The African proverb attributed to the Acholi people speaks profound truth: “What an elder sees while sitting down, the Bazakullu may not see, even if standing on the tallest tree.”
Your Excellency, you are that elder whose vision, sharpened by decades of struggle, governance, and nation-building, sees what others may not see, even if you sit down under a tree. As the contest for Speaker unfolds, Ugandans are watching with keen interest because the choice of Speaker will define the character of our legislative branch.
Your Excellency, you have ability to read the moment, to understand what Uganda needs at this critical juncture for national interest rather than political convenience. This is the moment to invoke your wisdom of elder ‘sitting down Vs those standing’ in this Speakership race.
The Flower Ugandan Voters DeserveFlowers represent the beautiful, the valuable, the cherished. When we say “give someone their flowers,” we mean: recognize their worth, honor their value, appreciate their contribution while they can still see it. Your Excellency, Ugandans are asking you to give them their flower in the form of a competent, unifying parliamentary leadership.
That flower is Rt. Hon. Norbert Mao. Mao represents rarity in contemporary politics: a leader who has evolved from opposition stalwart to constructive partner without losing his principles or his integrity. He also believes in building bridges, not walls across the political spectrum.
Your Excellency, you have always prioritized merit over mediocrity. In supporting Mao’s candidature for Speaker, you are gifting Ugandans their flower of leadership that can heal rather than divide, unite rather than fragment, fight ‘adui’ corruption like you warned in Kyankwanzi.
A Gift That Reflects Your Legacy
Your Excellency, your legacy is not only the years served, but also the institutions you have built and strengthened. This required not only your personal leadership but also your ability to identify and empower capable leaders throughout government arms.
By supporting Mao, you will be demonstrating once again that national interest can prevail over factional loyalty.
Strategic Wisdom of Choice, Maturing Democracy
Your Excellency, you are a strategic thinker par excellence. With Mao’s opposition and cabinet experience, he can invaluably facilitate the relationship between Executive and Legislature while maintaining Parliament’s constitutional independence productively. He understands the perspectives and pressures of both sides. This unique positioning makes him ideally suited as the Flower you should give Ugandans. Furthermore, Your Excellency, Uganda’s international community partners are watching the race closely in the diplomatic space.
A Speaker who is a legal asset-both in knowing the law and its application as an advocate with demonstrated commitment to democratic principles enhances Uganda’s standing globally.
This matters for foreign investment, development partnerships, regional and international influence since he is not travel sanctioned, not marred by corruption allegations.
Mao’s election as Speaker, particularly with your support, would send powerful signals: Uganda’s democracy has matured; the nation is committed to inclusive governance, institutions matter more than individuals, the winner-NRM didn’t take it all.
Your excellency, In Kenya, Zambia, Rt. Hon.Wetangula, Rt.Hon.Butete Kashumba respectively don’t have majority MPs of their political parties in Parliament but due to national interest, individual competence, balanced boat, they became Speakers in those Countries. If not, why not in Uganda for DP’s Mao?
The Unity Imperative
Your Excellency, you recognized Mao’s unique quality during his swearing-in as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in 2022, you alluded that Mao is “a different logic.” You were prophetic. Indeed, he is a different logic, different in his integrity, commitment to principle over convenience, different in his capacity to build bridges-not walls. That “different logic” is exactly what Parliament needs-Mao as Speaker and chief fixer to fight ‘adui’ corruption that only visits, dines in other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) but goes back to sleep at its headquarters in Parliament. Sad, isn’t it? Your body language, I watched on TV during your Kyankwanzi anti-corruption rhetoric seemed eager to crack a fat whip! It indirectly influenced the Kyankwanzi spirit to reject a Speakership candidate who is allegedly involved in corruption.
Norbert Mao represents this kind of model of unity. His political journey demonstrates that evolution is possible, that former opponents can become partners, that national interest can transcend partisan identity. The People/Ugandan Voters Have SpokenYour Excellency, in every online voting mechanism testing the waters for this Speakership race, Mao won by wide margins. This is not coincidental, it is the voice of your same 2026 bazzakulu voters + others who gave you over 71% .
Why this trend?
Because you and Mao have a political connection; from the DP-NRM Cooperation agreement to Mao’s unprecedented backing of your 2025/6 Presidential race following our DP’s NEC resolution-not to field a Presidential candidate. Your excellency, your wisdom as elder has converged with that of the Bazzakullu on same choice-Mao. This is the kind of generational harmony that builds nations by validating their voices, and demonstrating that their opinions matter.
A Gift to Democracy
Your Excellency, Uganda’s democratic journey has not always been smooth but the nation has made steady progress toward more inclusive, accountable governance. The choice of Speaker is an opportunity to advance this democratic narrative. By supporting someone with Mao’s credentials of legal expertise-knowing the law and practicing it as an advocate, commitment to fighting adui called corruption, you are restoring reputation and diminished public trust in Parliament.
The Moment and The Man
Your Excellency, in politics, timing matters. There are moments when the right leader emerges for the right position at the right time. This is such a moment, and Norbert Mao is such a leader. God just gave you a free gift, a civilian Commander to fight ‘adui’ called corruption in Parliament. Mao’s political experience from High school head boy to Guild President, Parliamentarian, Local Government Chairman-V Gulu and Civil society like Armani Peace Forum with zero corruption stench demonstrates his capacity will enhance Uganda’s democratic credentials domestically and internationally.
The Request and The Responsibility
Your Excellency, I write this open letter not as a partisan but a concerned Ugandan who cares deeply about our nation’s institutions and the future. Many Ugandans share this concern. We watch the speakership race with hope that merit and competence will triumph, that national interest prevails. We the Bazzakullus on the tallest tree are asking you who is sitting down, to use your wisdom to ensure Parliament chooses wisely, not because we doubt MPs’ judgment, but because your voice carries weight with a demonstrated commitment to Uganda’s future.
The Gift That Keeps Giving
Your Excellency, when you gift Ugandans Mao as their Rt.Hon. Speaker, you are demonstrating that political evolution is possible, that former adversaries can become partners-through cooperation or coalition showing future generations that mature politics prioritizes national interest over factional advantage.You are contributing to the kind of political culture Uganda needs if it is to achieve its Vision 2040 aspirations.The Closing AppealYour Excellency, history has placed you in a position of extraordinary influence attached to responsibility. Ugandans are watching, praying that you to give them their flower-not a flower of political convenience or partisan calculation, but a flower of triumphant competence, unity and integrity.
Your Excellency, gift us the Bazzakullu our flower, free of corruption stench! Gift us Ugandans, our flower of hope that, competence can triumph over mediocrity.
Gift us our flower- a Civilian commander to fight ‘adui’ of corruption in Parliament.Gift us our flower Norbert Mao as Rt. Hon. Speaker of 12th Parliament.
Sincerely, with deepest respect and hope for Uganda’s future, By:Tuku-Neko Ogena Bese, Civil & Environmental Engineer, PRINCE2® Agile, LEED AP BD+C, LEED AP O+M, MBA | National Executive Committee (NEC) Member | National Secretary for Workers, Entrepreneurs & Informal Sectors. Email: tuku.neko.ob@gmail.com
