Kampala Woman Member of Parliament, Shamim Malende, has made shocking allegations that leaders within her own party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), are plotting to poison her in order to eliminate her from the race for the Kampala Woman MP flag.
According to details shared by her campaign team, Malende claims she was recently forced into a reconciliation meeting with her political rival, Zahara Luyikira, on Saturday, August 16, 2025. The meeting was reportedly convened by NUP Deputy President for Buganda, Mwanga Kivumbi, in an attempt to ease growing tensions between the two.
However, Malende says she became suspicious during the meeting after she was offered unsealed bottled water and repeatedly pressured to drink it.
“They kept insisting that I take the water, but something didn’t feel right,” Malende reportedly told her aides.
The rivalry between Malende and Luyikira has been escalating in recent weeks, with smear campaigns on social media and clashes between their supporters.
Malende further accused her rival of using underhand methods to secure the party ticket, including bribing members of the NUP election committee and allegedly attempting to seduce party president Robert Kyagulanyi (Bobi Wine). She now claims those tactics have escalated to attempted poisoning.
These allegations have revived memories of past incidents within NUP, particularly the case of the late former Kawempe North MP Muhammad Ssegirinya, who in 2023 alleged similar threats before his untimely death under mysterious circumstances that many linked to poisoning.
So far, NUP leaders have not issued an official response to Malende’s latest claims.
