Apologise to Buganda Kingdom - UYD tells Mao

KAMPALA.

The Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) have asked the Democratic Party president, Mr Norbert Mao to apologise to Buganda Kingdom for calling the Kabaka a beggar. They accuse Mr Mao of insulting the Kabaka.

Addressing a news conference in Kampala yesterday, the UYD secretary general, Mr Charles Wasswa, asked Mr Mao to apologise to ¬¬Buganda Kingdom for saying that the Kabaka goes to State House to beg handouts from President Museveni.

The UYD leaders expressed fears that Mr Mao’s utterances could damage DP support in its stronghold (Buganda).

“The DP Constitution states that the party shall protect traditional institutions and leaders, but how come Mr Mao insulted the king…, he should come out to clean DP’s image on the same platform he used, ”Mr Wasswa said.

Addressing the party’s press conference this week, Mr Mao, while explaining the disputed suspension of the party’s vice president for Buganda region, Ms Betty Nambooze Bakireke, criticised the Mukono Municipality MP and her supporters before he called the Kabaka a beggar.

“If we have strong MPs coming from Buganda, the Kabaka should not be going to State House to beg President Museveni,” he said.

In reference to Ms Nambooze’s aborted meeting in Masaka District, Mr Mao added: “The MPs would be positioning themselves to table motions in Parliament that help him (Kabaka) to exercise his powers as the king, instead of holding unlawful meetings.”

However, Mr Wasswa said, Mr Mao should clean his image and that of the party because his utterances against the Kabaka and the MPs were uncalled for. “Mao should respect himself and those who love their Kabaka and the party,” Mr Wasswa said.

In his response to UYD calls, Mr Mao told Daily Monitor in telephone interview yesterday that, UYD has no authority to demand an apology for what he said and they should start listening to his speech clearly.

“If I said something to the Buganda Kingdom it’s between me (Mao) and Mengo, it’s none of their business and traditional leaders are there to intervene not UYD, they should leave issues of traditional leaders to traditional leaders,” Mr Mao said.

At the same press conference, Mr Wasswa also criticised Mr Mao for siding with police to beat up DP supporters and some of their leaders. Ms Nambooze and other legislators were blocked from holding their meeting in Masaka early this week. Ms Nambooze and her group have accused Mr Mao and his vice Mukasa Mbidde of killing the party.

Mao banned
On Wednesday, DP leadership in Mukono declared a ban on Mr Mao from operating party activities in the municipality and the entire district and accordingly, removed his portrait from their office.

The Mukono Municipality party chairperson, Mr Lukeman Ssegayi, said: “ It’s unfortunate that Mr Mao, Mr Mbidde and the secretary general, Mr Gerald Siranda, conspired with police to disrupt party activities and they are using police to persecute MP Nambooze and other party members with impunity.”