Kampala, Uganda – Norbert Mao, the president of the Democratic Party (DP), has openly admitted to being pressured by fellow party members and influenced by his long standing relationship with General Salim Saleh, the Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), prompting his recent high-profile meeting with the controversial military figure.
Mao’s bold disclosure comes at a time of rising criticism from within his party, raising serious questions about the DP’s internal unity and the influence of military elites in Uganda’s fragile opposition landscape.
“I was under pressure from some DP members led by a DP NEC member and military veteran, Fred Luyonga,” Mao confessed, adding, “I also have a long-standing relationship with Gen. Salim Saleh, dating back to when he saved my vote in Gulu.”
Mao’s acknowledgment that he has served as Vice President of the Salim Saleh Foundation for Humanity since 1997 has raised eyebrows among political observers who see this as a clear conflict of interest.
While Mao insists the relationship is grounded in humanitarian work, critics argue that such long-term ties to the ruling family’s inner circle undermine his credibility as an opposition figure.
The pressure, according to Mao, wasn’t just external. DP’s internal politics are boiling, and Fred Luyonga, a NEC member and retired military officer, has reportedly been pushing for closer collaboration with the state-led Operation Wealth Creation programme, which many in opposition circles view as a politically motivated military project.
Sources inside DP say the party is deeply divided, with some members seeing strategic cooperation with OWC as a way to deliver services to their constituencies, while others see it as a betrayal of the party’s independence.
Gen. Salim Saleh, the brother of President Yoweri Museveni, has long been a towering yet shadowy figure in Uganda’s political and military sector.
As the head of OWC, he oversees massive state-driven wealth creation programs across Uganda, but these programs have also faced criticism for lack of transparency, militarization of civilian initiatives, and entrenching the NRM’s grip on grassroots communities.
By meeting with Saleh, Mao finds himself walking between developmental practicality and political compromise.
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