I AM THE ONLY UNITY CANDIDATE SAYS MAO

Democratic Party president general and candidate, Norbert Mao, has rebuked Hajji Abdul Nadduli for allegedly using tribalism to undermine his candidature.

Nadduli, an NRM historical member, is also vice chairperson of the party for Buganda (central region). He was previously LC-5 chairman of Luwero. According to Mao, Nadduli has encouraged voters in Luwero to turn away from Mao because as an Acholi, he plans to kill Baganda as his tribes-people reportedly did during the guerilla war of 1981-1986.
“I was young by that time and it was [the late president] Milton Obote, Museveni and Nadduli who killed people struggling for power, not me. Tell Nadduli to leave me because I’m not of his class,” Mao said.
The UNLA, the national army of the time, which was pitted against Yoweri Museveni’s guerrillas in Luwero, was said to be dominated by soldiers hailing from Acholi.
Mao, who is also LC-5 chairperson for Gulu district, was addressing a crowd that braved a heavy downpour to attend his first campaign rally at Matugga trading centre in Luwero district on October 30.
Likening the guerilla war to a football match, Mao suggested that Nadduli and his fellow rebel fighters must have killed more people; which is why they won the war.
“In a football match, a team with a high score of goals is the one which wins…The 1981-1986 war was won by Museveni and Nadduli, which means they killed big numbers of people. Unless Nadduli tells me that his gun contained rose flowers but not bullets.”
Mao vigorously defended his presidential bid, saying it’s neither for the Acholi nor against Buganda. “Many people think that being a northerner, I don’t love Buganda Kingdom. No, that’s very wrong! Not being a Muganda does not stop me from having Buganda and the king at heart. I assure and promise you that if you vote for me, I will protect the king, his subjects and their property.
“I don’t deny the fact that my father is an Acholi and mum is from Ankole, but I grew up here, thus I’m a fellow Muganda. For that, I’m the only candidate who will be like a bridge that will unite all Ugandans despite their tribal differences,” he said.
Mao also revealed how he had been introduced to the Kabaka, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, by John Ssebaana Kizito, the man he succeeded to lead the DP.
The candidate further made reference to the historical relationship between the Acholi and Baganda. “Depending on the history of Buganda, Daudi Ocheng was killed for protecting the late Ssekabaka Muteesa II when all the Baganda had abandoned him, but Ocheng from Acholi gave away his life for this king. So, one does not need to be a Muganda to love the king,” he said.
Mao then turned to President Museveni. “[President] Museveni says that he loves Buganda Kingdom. How could you believe that great liar when he has failed to restore the chiefdom of his own tribe?”
Museveni hails from Ankole, whose kingdom has yet to be restored 17 years after other cultural institutions were revived.
Commenting on the reopening of CBS radio two days before the presidential nominations, Mao said: “You should know that he opened CBS radio not because he wanted to but because he was targeting votes and you should not forget that CBS can be closed again if he is still in power.”
The government had closed the Buganda Kingdom-owned radio at the peak of violent riots in parts of Buganda that resulted from the Kabaka being blocked from visiting Kayunga district in September 2009. Mao vowed to bring change of government in Uganda without bloodshed as has previously been the case.
“All people want is power to be changed without bloodshed. It is on record that Democratic Party is the oldest party in Uganda as well as the only party with clean hands, without blood stains. People are fed up with jumping their fellows’ dead bodies as a means of bringing change in the country,” he said.