MAO ON WHY THE WEST HAS NO MORAL AUTHORITY TO CRITICIZE M7’S GOVERNANCE RECORD

By Mulengera Reporters

During the just-ended JLOS/Access to Justice sub programme performance review workshop at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Justice Minister Norbert Mao (in his characteristic style) cracked all manner of jokes while dissing and praising those he works with in the Justice Law & Order Sector.

Firstly, even when the event was meant to reflect on both achievements and challenges or failures, Mao (presiding over the opening ceremony) implored the assembled stakeholders (from the 18 JLOS institutions) not to over think about what didn’t go well during the period under review.

He said that even when the report that was launched indicated that over 70% of Ugandans are satisfied with the services they got or received from JLOS frontline service points across the country, he is aware that public resentment towards the NRM government, of which JLOS is part, is widespread. Even when that is the case, Mao implored JLOS sector staff not to be over stressed because even trying isn’t bad.

The DP President, who became pragmatic and accepted to serve in Gen Museveni’s Cabinet, said that trying is a very good thing too even when the outcomes turn out different from what one might have desired. He said that even when he eventually succeeded in finding the sea route to India, famous explorer Vasco Dagama had to ride on earlier attempts by earlier explorers even though theirs wasn’t a successful effort.

He added that Kabaka Mwanga remains credited for putting in place Kabaka’s Lake at Mengo even when his attempt to have it directly link up to Lake Victoria never came to fruition. In the same way, Mao said the hard work being invested by staff working at the 18 JLOS institutions can never be in vain even when some of the desired outcomes never result.

Mao then shifted to cracking jokes while casually dissing the donor and development partners representatives at the review meeting. He started with the delegation from the Austrian Embassy led by Dr. Katja K who spoke for and on behalf of the JLOS development partners group.

She praised Uganda for where things have gone well and also castigated Kampala for the bad areas such as the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act and failure to tolerate the enjoyment of political expression rights as enshrined under Article 29 of Uganda’s Constitution.

Mao proposed that donors had better be patient with Uganda as it takes time to evolve its governance processes to perfection  because “even Austria itself did nany bad things in the past but later on re-invented itself” through the Vienna Convention on which global diplomacy was anchored in order to achieve sustainable and lasting peace for the world.

The Justice Minister also cracked jokes about the US democracy which he said has never been perfect the way the Western media would like to make the world believe.

He demanded to know why media rights are always restricted inside the Court room to the extent that during the Trump Hush money trial, the entire American media accepted being gagged and had to depend on cartoons and caricature to illustrate to their audiences the story and what generally had transpired during the day’s session.

Mao bragged that this is one aspect where Uganda is more transparent and far ahead of the United States because in our country, court proceedings (even in the court martial) are unrestricted to the extent that many TV stations and online media channels can even do livestreaming without being sanctioned by the State.

Having reflected on restrictions diplomatic etiquette requires and imposes on such officers, Mao disclaimed to the development partners representatives at the review meeting while making it clear to them that they didn’t have to respond to the jocular jabs he had thrown at their capitals and governments back home.  (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).