TOP NATIONAL STORY: NUP IN TURMOIL AS KAMPALA WOMAN MP RACE SPARKS BITTER INFIGHTING
Closed-Door Crisis Meeting Signals Deepening Rift Between Malende and Luyirika Camps
KAMPALA, UGANDA — Tensions are boiling within the National Unity Platform (NUP) as the race for the Kampala Woman MP seat descends into a bitter internal feud, exposing deep cracks in Uganda’s largest opposition party just months before the 2026 general elections.
In a high-stakes closed-door meeting held recently at the party’s Makerere-Kavule headquarters, top NUP officials, including Deputy President for Buganda Muwanga Kivumbi, Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya, and Electoral Commission Chair Harriet Chemutai, convened to address escalating tensions between incumbent MP Shamim Malende and KCCA Speaker Zahara Luyirika.
At the heart of the storm is the party’s most coveted electoral prize: Kampala, the symbolic and strategic stronghold of Uganda’s opposition. The Kampala Woman MP seat has historically been a safe bet for opposition candidates — but the current race has turned into a bruising battle that now threatens NUP’s internal unity and credibility.
A RACE TURNED PERSONAL
Once seen as a near-guaranteed win, the Kampala Woman MP seat is now ground zero for a political power struggle. Shamim Malende, a prominent lawyer and frontline opposition figure, initially won overwhelming support for her legal defense of jailed NUP members. But her extended absence from Parliament due to illness — following injuries sustained during the Coffee Bill chaos — left a leadership vacuum.
Seizing the moment, Zahara Luyirika announced her candidacy, arguing that Kampala’s women deserve consistent and present representation. Her campaign gained traction, casting Malende’s health-related absence as political negligence.
Malende’s return reignited the rivalry, which has since morphed into an all-out factional war. What began as a political contest has turned deeply personal, with supporters trading barbs online, at rallies, and even within party forums.
“This is no longer just a race,” one senior party insider told us. “It’s an identity crisis for the NUP in Kampala.”
LEADERS WARN OF DISQUALIFICATIONS
At the recent meeting, Deputy President Kivumbi issued a sharp warning: both Malende and Luyirika risk disqualification if their camps do not cease hostilities.
“The party will not tolerate smear campaigns or blackmail,” Kivumbi said. “If the toxic attacks continue, the NUP Election Management Committee will disqualify any candidate found guilty of misconduct.”
Party Secretary General Rubongoya has called for “harmonization,” but admitted it cannot be imposed. So far, a truce remains out of reach.
OTHER ASPIRANTS CRY FOUL
Caught in the crossfire are other aspirants, such as Winifred Nakandi, who feel excluded from the process.
“I don’t know if my expression of interest was even considered,” Nakandi lamented. “If the party has already chosen its two candidates, then let them be honest with us. Why waste our time?”
Her frustration echoes growing concerns about transparency in NUP’s internal elections. Nakandi, among others, questions why only Malende and Luyirika were invited to the crisis meeting.
In response, Simon Wandukwa, chair of NUP’s Makerere University chapter, said the meeting was necessary to resolve the “chaotic escalation” between the two leading candidates.
“Other aspirants who are campaigning peacefully were not summoned because the meeting was about restoring discipline,” Wandukwa said.
MALENDE UNDER SCRUTINY
Even as she battles to retain the party’s flag, Malende faces growing criticism. In a viral video, outspoken party mobilizer Sauda Madada accused her of politicizing the legal struggles of imprisoned NUP members like Eddie Mutwe, Achileo Kivumbi, and Gadafi Mugumya, whom she has represented in court.
Her defenders argue that her legal advocacy is both genuine and necessary — a sign of her deep commitment to the movement. But critics see it as grandstanding in a high-stakes election season.
“This is either political strategy or professional overreach,” a party insider said. “Either way, it’s fueling divisions.”
A PARTY AT A CROSSROADS
For NUP, what happens in Kampala may define its credibility nationwide. The Kampala Woman MP seat is more than just a position in Parliament — it is a test of the party’s ability to manage internal democracy, discipline, and fairness.
The unresolved tensions, allegations of favoritism, and sidelining of other contenders risk alienating sections of the party base, especially the youth and grassroots mobilizers who fueled NUP’s 2021 momentum.
Party officials insist they can weather the storm — but only if members accept the eventual outcome.
“When you don’t get the flag, accept that the party did its best,” Wandukwa said. But for many, that promise rings hollow amid backroom deals and visible favoritism.
THE STAKES AHEAD
With the 2026 elections fast approaching, NUP faces a defining moment. Can it rally behind a single Kampala flag bearer without tearing itself apart? Can it guarantee transparency while enforcing discipline?
So far, the battle between Malende and Luyirika has revealed a troubling truth: NUP’s greatest threat may not come from the ruling NRM — but from within.
This is a developing story.
