Mao face your woes its you who introduced the politics of "Komanyoko"

Mao face your woes its you who introduced the politics of "Komanyoko"

Dear Hon Norbert Mao,

I salute you. Your handling of the latest altercations in DP is very surprising. Just the other week, you had announced in one of the press conferences that as party head, you had decided not to take any disciplinary action against Betty Nambooze and would instead put your energy on organising a unity conference to engage with all party members aggrieved by your leadership. But then a few days after you were leading a “tribunal” suspending Betty from party leadership. In effect you are saying one thing and doing the exact opposite. Two things could explain this kind of behaviour. That either you’re a leader conspiring against your organisation, or it’s a tacit admission that you’ve been upstaged by a defacto figure in your dicey VP who has been vehemently desirous of that action.

But there also seems to be a history to this pattern especially regarding your relationship with the party you currently lead. Actually for the very things you accuse your opponents of, you’ve previously done even worse and been tolerated by DP.

1) You accuse Betty and DP Baganda politicians of tribalism but who has fomented tribalism in DP more than you Hon Mao. When you lost the DP President General primaries in 2005 to Mzee Sebaana Kizito, you referred to the party elections as “Bika bya Buganda football”. You infact led a boycott of Northern delegates not to participate in other elections at the Namboole conference claiming its a Buganda affair. Yet 5 years later you were back contesting the same DP President position, championed for and primarily elected in 2010 by the same people you ethically slandered. Every time someone challenges your leadership, you retreat to a tribal thicket. But you ought to note that you are not the first DP leader to be faced with internal opposition but never before has tribe been used so overtly like you do to deflect opponents and consolidate mischief. Take an example of former President General Kawanga Ssemogerere. In 1982 six (6) Busoga MPs led by then DP Chief Whip J. Magezi defected from DP and joined UPC but Semogerere never used this situation to denigrate Basoga or play tribal victim. In 1984 after a party leadership challenge, senior partly leader Tiberio Okeny Atwoma formed the National Liberal Party but still the party leadership never made this an Acholi matter. Circa 2000 Francis Wazarahi Bwengye openly challenged Semogerere and had a faction together with party VP Zachary Olum and others but still this disagreement did not suck in their tribes that Banyankole or Acholi are up against a Muganda. Why is it that for Mao everyone who disagrees with him is tribal? Isn’t your tribal slandering dangerous to your party and the nation?

2) You accuse others of not supporting party candidates in elections. But it’s on record that in 1993, you not only failed to support a DP member but stood against Lord Andrew Adimola (then DP Vice President) in the race for constituent assembly delegate for Gulu Municipality.

3) You accuse others of hobnobbing with different opposition parties but at least they’re still party members albeit electorally independent. You did worse before. Its on record that you previously formed a political party (National Progressive Party) with Aggrey Awori circa 2000. In effect you left the Democratic Party and only rejoined after your project failed to take off.

4) You previously coined the term “Politics of Komanyoko” and stated your abhorrence of that kind of dirty discourse. But isn’t it you Hon Mao now leading in insulting your opponents. Referring to one as “Lunkulu”. That party MPs opposed to your leadership are unfit to even pass receptionist interviews at Parliament. You have previously told another leading politician that he doesn’t pass the grade to even tie your shoe laces. Eh Hon Mao, this shouldn’t be you.

With this kind of history, i would assume that you are better placed to understand the value of tolerance in institution building. Its clear that your party and its membership has tolerated your indiscretions for long. That’s an institutional virtue you can build on. Practice the same tolerance unto others.

Luke 6:31 – Do unto other as you would have them do unto you.

I’m also reminded of a luganda proverb you popularly patronise “…… Ow’empaka, akunama ebiri………”

Only strong, well managed political parties can lead to a better Country and Ugandans should demand that of parties in whether in Govt or Opposition. As party leader, the buck stops with you.