Why Malende’s relationship with NUP appears doomed

National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya (2nd R) speaks after the party resolved to retain Ms Shamim Malende (3rd L) as its Kampala Woman MP flagbearer and later gave Ms Zahara Maala Luyirika (3rd R) the flag to Makindye West in Parliament in August 2025. Ms Malende and Luyirika had earlier picked forms for the Kampala Woman MP slot. PHOTO | COURTESY OF NUP FACEBOOK PAGE

Even before the 12th Parliament gets down to the real business, there are real question marks over the political future of Ms Shamim Malende, the Kampala District Woman Representative (DWR). The uneasiness in the relationship between Ms Malende and the leaders of her party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), was on display when she made a rare appearance at the party’s headquarters during the unveiling of Jinja South East legislator, Mr Paul Mwiru, as their candidate in the speakership race. When Ms Flavia Nabagabe Kalule, emcee of the function, was introducing Ms Malende, she said they hoped that the Kampala DWR would remain a permanent fixture in NUP activities.

“We hope she will remain with us in the coming days,” Ms Kalule, who lost the Kassanda DWR seat in January, said. Ever since Ms Malende was retained as the Kampala DWR, she has neither appeared at any NUP activity nor issued any statement explaining her absence. Ms Malende, it is said, jetted out of the country as soon as she secured a second term in Parliament to get specialised treatment. Still, she kept silent until the week of her swearing-in function.

Sources within NUP said as much as Ms Malende has claimed that she has been sick, her disappearance has angered foot soldiers. “We are not convinced that she is just sick,” a foot soldier said on condition of anonymity.

The relationship between Ms Malende and the party had sunk so low that those within NUP had expected that she would be one of the lawmakers who would defy the party’s position and attend President Museveni's swearing-in ceremony at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala last month. “We had got information that she would join those celebrations, but she eventually didn’t attend. We don’t plan with her for the future,” a NUP member said on condition of anonymity, adding that the party is not short of worthy replacements for Ms Malende, including Ms Shamim Nambassa, the former Makerere University guild president, who has just been elected to represent Kawempe South as the Woman LC5 Councillor at Kampala Capital City Council Authority (KCCA)

By the end of last term, sources said NUP leaders were ready to move on from Ms Malende.

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