By Aggrey BabaImmediately after being sworn in as the Laroo-Pece Division MP on Thursday, May 14, 2026, Democratic Party president and aspiring Speaker of the 12th Parliament, Norbert Mao, set out his vision for how he would run the House, pledging equal speaking time for all Members of Parliament (MPs) regardless of party affiliation if elected Speaker. Mao made the remarks while speaking to the media, moments after taking oath, using the moment to highlight what he would prioritize as speaker. He was accompanied by his wife Beatrice Mao, who wore a green dress during the swearing-in ceremony. The Laroo-Pece MP said Parliament must be run in a way that gives every MP a fair chance to contribute to debate, warning against dominance by party strength or numbers. “We must give all these Members of Parliament their due air time to talk,” Mao said, stressing that debate should be properly organised to allow participation from all sides of the House. He further promis3d to create the “caucus of the whole House,” a platform he said would allow MPs from both the opposition and the ruling NRM to discuss issues that affect all Ugandans. “There are some problems which have no party lines,” he said, adding that Parliament should be able to handle such matters collectively as representatives of the people. Mao said Parliament’s core role is to solve national problems, arguing that ideas should be assessed on merit rather than political origin. “It is the role of Parliament to solve problems. And it really doesn’t matter who comes with the best solution. If it serves Uganda best, that is what we should pay attention to,” he said. He also stressed equality before the law, saying Parliament must ensure all citizens are treated the same regardless of status.To explain his point, Mao used a comparison of money notes, saying their value remains the same whether new or old, and argued that citizens should be treated in the same way. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).