Hon. Minister Mao’s Homecoming; will we get back “our Mao?” Or [Mao wa?]

“Opuk malaco, ki neno I mac!:” Acholi say, a male tortoise is seen when dropped on fire!

Has Norbert Mao lost it all on cooperating or joining NRM? His homecoming will prove whether he will leave history to judge him harshly or time will prove him right!

will he recreate the damaged ” Mao wa” brand in his homecoming?True, after getting in the den of the “lion” he received lots of lost love, divorce, and disappointment from many equally.

From the 1980s as head prefect at Namiliango secondary school and 1990 as guild president of Makerere, Hon. Norbert Mao had won the hearts of many Ugandans unprecedentedly.

Joining opposition and becoming a member of Parliament for Gulu Municipality in 1996 at 27 and speaking for the oppressed people of Northern Uganda and the voiceless subjugated and alienated Ugandans added an icing in the cakes of his unmatched love.

He is remembered for his wit, wisdom and speaking truth to power. Mao is also remembered for words like “The fish rots from the head” This is while linking President Museveni to the institutionalized and endemic corruption in Uganda.

There are many words he coined against the over 37 years old deceptive regime with a huge gap in good governance and Democracy, a regime regarded as a dictatorship by the opposition for its iron fist-like pseudo elections. I remember he said, “When dining with a devil, use a long folk!”. Poisoning and mafiadism in a corruption-laddened National Resistance Movement [NRM] and suspicious deaths justify this statement.

It’s unfathomable to imagine a transition in Uganda where President Museveni believes that only his ‘Bachwezi’ clan is entitled to rule Uganda for eternity.

At first, I almost believed the idea of transition, benevolence against democracy, the high level of arrogance and statements of those in power, I see former German chancellor, Bismarck’s blood and iron idealogy being an option unless our leaders wake up from their slumber nightmare.

Many see that as megalomaniac on the Bachwezi to imagine invincibility. After disputing Hon. Mao’s argument on transition and asserting that he captured Mao like

many others, General Museveni unmasked his face.

To believe in a Museveni who lied to Ugandans and the world more than 10 times on leaving power is like closing eyes while burying heads in the sun like ostriches.

To imagine the end of ” No change or (Pakalastification) in Uganda ispathetic. Uganda is a country which is slowly but surely sliding to a monarchy. Who can challenge me that Museveni sees no one but his son Muhoozi as next 4 decades President who will bequeath power to his kid?

HON MAO’S HOMECOMING; Messages Acholi and Ugandans would want him to address.

Finally, when Hon, Norbert Mao signed a working document with a regime that he made many detest against, his popularity remains in his hands to redeem, but no doubt he lost a lot in the pecking order in opposition.

I remember Acholi’s love for him was unconditional. Yes, we wait to listen to him. I believe that every story needs a listener! Hon. Norbert Mao was the only Acholi politician who would campaign without money and posters. We wait to see this on his homecoming. Acholi love their own, imagine even kony”s commanders live freely.

When he campaigns for anyone, losing was a taboo. I remember his opponent, the late Col. Ochora once said “If you hate Mao, don’t listen to him” He added that even frogs would leave the waters to listen to him. No amount of shenanigans, gerrymandering or rigging would see him off. Ask Hon. Betty Bigombe in 1996!

Yes, like I said from the onset “We are yet to see if he is a male tortoise “. After years of subjugation, alienation, poverty, betrayal and broken promises from President Museveni, to date Acholi lives in poverty at more than 47% of Uganda’s poverty. It will be on that day, Acholi are waiting and will come in big numbers.

Education is terrible, for the past 37 years of Museveni, Acholi lived burying their loved ones, and lost more than 30, 000 children unprotected by the government during the war.

They have seen their land being taken by rich-, powerful gun-wielding Balalos ( believed to be sent by those in power), and forests including their priced “Yaa” or Shea butter trees being decimated by the power that be.

Besides, Acholi lost many prominent people in government. If he will openly address the above, besides the arguments of betrayal by his critics and bad governance he serves, we may see a recantation of the President Mao we knew. ” Mao wa, or our slogan, this time Mao “

Mwaka Lutukumoi.

Mao’s Mentee/Former DP National Spokesman and Now Scholar, published Author living in USA.