The Ugandan Parliament and Opposition caucus have been thrown into mourning following the death of Kalangala District Woman MP, Hon. Helen Nakimuli, who passed away while undergoing surgery on Sunday morning.
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Joel Ssenyonyi, confirmed the tragic news, revealing that he had spoken to Nakimuli just hours before her death as she coordinated preparations for an Opposition MPs’ meeting scheduled for the following day.
“This morning at about 9am, I spoke to Hon Hellen Nakimuli regarding a meeting of Opposition MPs that we were planning for tomorrow, and she was coordinating it as Shadow Minister for Information,” Ssenyonyi said.
He added that Nakimuli had personally informed him she was heading for a medical procedure, which she described as minor, while still actively engaged in parliamentary coordination duties.
“At the time, she was literally driving herself to hospital for a surgery which she indicated was not major. Unfortunately, she has not made it out of theatre. She has died during the procedure,” he said.
Her sudden death has sent shockwaves through the Opposition ranks and Parliament at large, where she was regarded as an active and rising political voice within the National Unity Platform (NUP). Nakimuli represented Kalangala District as Woman MP and also served in the shadow cabinet as Shadow Minister for Information.
Preliminary accounts indicate that she had been admitted for a surgical procedure after seeking medical attention earlier in the day.
She reportedly died while still in theatre, with doctors yet to issue an official explanation on the exact cause of complications.
Colleagues have described her as a committed legislator who remained actively engaged in political work even in moments of personal medical difficulty.
Further details on funeral arrangements and official parliamentary tribute programmes are expected to be announced.