Museveni appoints Mao Justice Minister

By Ben Musanje

21^st July 2022

The Democratic Party (DP) President Norbert Mao has been appointed the New Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, a day after he brokered a deal with President Yoweri Museveni.

In his tweet on Thursday afternoon, Museveni used powers vested in him under Articles 113 (1) and 114 (1) of the 1995 Constitution to announce Mao as the new minister in for Justice.

Also appointed in the same instrument is Hamson Obua as the Government Chief Whip and Beatrice Akello Akori, the Agago Woman Member of parliament as the State Minister for Economic Monitoring office of the president.

Akello has replaced Peter Ogwanga who has moved to the position of State Minister for Sports in the Ministry of Education and Sports.

The Deputy Press Secretary to the president, Farouk Kirunda confirmed the changes.

Mao’s appointment comes a day after he signed a closely guarded memorandum of understanding with the president, Yoweri at state house Entebbe on Wednesday evening.

Mao’s brokered deal with President Museveni caught many by surprise including DP members which they learnt from the social media photos and later confirmed by the Presidential Press Unit- PPU.

Bayiga Lulume, the MP for Buikwe South, one of a few senior members of the party who never abandoned it to join the National Unity Platform-NUP party to contest in the last election, said Mao never consulted anybody before he agreed to work with Museveni.

He says Mao’s action is unprecedented in the history of the DP where both the President and the Secretary-General cross to another party.

Lulume said that Mao told him he was confident that the two top organs of the party; the National Executive Committee and the National Council will ratify the agreement.