KAMPALA, Uganda — A somber mood engulfed Parliament of Uganda on the morning of April 22, 2026, as legislators and staff gathered to receive the remains of Kalangala District Woman MP, Helen Nakimuli.
Nakimuli passed away on April 19 at a private hospital in Kampala.
Top parliamentary leaders, including Speaker Anita Among, her deputy Thomas Tayebwa, Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, Government Chief Whip Hamson Obua, and Third Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakadama were present to receive the body at Parliament’s South Wing.
Emotions ran high when Nakimuli’s father, Reverend Father Christopher Walusimbi of the Orthodox Church, arrived alongside close family members, drawing sympathy from mourners.
Known for her passion for sports, Nakimuli had been actively involved in Parliament’s women’s teams, captaining the volleyball side and participating in netball and basketball. In tribute, members of the sports fraternity escorted her casket from the main gate in a guard of honour.
Hundreds of mourners, many dressed in black, gathered at the Parliament foyer where her body was laid in state. Several were visibly overcome with grief as they paid their last respects.
Parliamentary leaders also took time to console the bereaved family and sign the condolence book.
Just days before her passing, Nakimuli had actively participated in parliamentary proceedings. During a sitting on April 15, she raised concerns to the State Minister for Sports, Peter Ogwang, questioning Uganda’s preparedness to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and pressing for clear timelines on infrastructure readiness, particularly regarding Hoima Stadium.
Later in the afternoon, legislators were expected to reconvene to formally pay tribute to Nakimuli—this time as she lay in a casket in the House she once actively served.