Retired General David Sejusa has commented on Democratic Party (DP) leader Norbert Mao’s bid for Speaker in Uganda’s 12th Parliament, describing it as a move that appeared risky on the surface but may have carried deeper political calculation.
The Speaker race, held at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, was won by Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth, who secured 441 votes.
National Unity Platform’s Paul Mwiru came second with 60 votes, while Mao finished third with 15 votes in a contest dominated by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) majority in Parliament.
Sejusa said Mao’s decision to enter the race looked to some like political “self-sacrifice,” but argued that it should not be dismissed as lacking logic.
He drew a distinction between what he called standard expectations and political reasoning, suggesting that the outcome may reflect a wider strategic environment.
“The fact that it may have defied standard logic does not mean it defied political logic,” Sejusa said, questioning the broader intentions behind the candidature.
He pointed to what he described as shifting dynamics within the NRM and opposition-aligned parties, noting an increasingly inward-looking ruling party and a divided Democratic Party that continues to navigate internal positioning and external alliances.
According to Sejusa, the Speaker contest may reflect a broader pattern of political negotiation over influence within key state institutions.
He suggested that such contests often go beyond numbers and can be linked to long-term positioning ahead of future political transitions.
He further described the situation as one involving competing forces within the political system, where institutional roles become part of wider strategic calculations between parties and individuals.
Sejusa also linked the moment to broader questions of statecraft, arguing that bold political decisions sometimes shape the direction of governance systems, even when they appear unsuccessful in immediate electoral terms.
“In statecraft and nation building, bravery can be the defining line between a successful nation and state decay,” he said, indicating that political risks may carry long-term implications beyond the outcome of a single vote.
Mao, who entered the race as a symbolic contender, has previously suggested his participation was partly a test of political positioning within Parliament.
His performance, however, has since triggered debate over opposition strategy and engagement within Uganda’s legislative processes.