Norbert Mao, the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, is seeking President Yoweri Museveni’s clearance to attend the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting scheduled for Friday, May 22, 2026, ahead of key party decisions on parliamentary leadership, Favour fm has learnt.
The highly anticipated CEC meeting is expected to play a decisive role in determining NRM’s preferred candidates for the top parliamentary leadership positions ahead of the new legislative term.
Mao, who also serves as president of the Democratic Party and Member of Parliament for the Laroo-Pece Division, is among the contenders eyeing the influential Speaker of Parliament position.
Speculation had recently emerged suggesting that Mao had withdrawn from the race.
However, Mao and his former campaign manager and current constituency manager, George Aligec, have since dismissed the claims.
Aligec reveals that Mao has already formally requested an audience with Museveni and is awaiting clearance to enable him to present his case before the NRM’s top decision-making organ.
However, Richard Todwong, the NRM Secretary General, said the CEC meeting is strictly reserved for top party members, noting that Mao belongs to a different political party.
Todwong said Mao’s attendance can only be sanctioned by the NRM national chairperson, adding that no official communication had yet been made regarding his participation.
A week ago, the CEC had maintained former Speaker Anita Annet Among and her deputy Thomas Tayebwa as the ruling party’s preferred candidates for both positions.
However, Among pulled out of the race on Monday following major investigations into alleged enrichment and abuse of office, said to have been sanctioned by President Museveni.
The Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), a political pressure group affiliated with Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba, recently endorsed Defence Minister Jacob Oboth-Oboth for Speaker and Tayebwa for Deputy Speaker ahead of the May 25 Speaker election.
By URN
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