Kampala Woman Member of Parliament, Shamim Malende, has been discharged from Aga Khan Hospital in Kenya after spending three months undergoing specialized medical treatment.
Malende traveled to Kenya in April following a continued deterioration in her health. Prior to that, she had been receiving treatment at Nsambya Hospital in Kampala, where doctors recommended she seek further care from specialists at Aga Khan Hospital.
Her health reportedly worsened after an incident in November last year, when law enforcement officers allegedly assaulted her and several other lawmakers during the passing of the Coffee Amendment Bill.
Speaking before her departure, Malende explained that medical personnel at Nsambya Hospital had advised her to consult the same team of experts who had treated her in 2022.
“I was recommended by the medical personnel at Nsambya Hospital to seek further treatment from the experts who handled my case in 2022. We decided that I should go to Aga Khan Hospital to receive better medical care,” she said.
She also disclosed that she had undergone surgery in the past, but the injuries sustained during the alleged assault at Parliament aggravated her condition, from which she has not fully recovered.
Despite being discharged from the hospital, Shamim Malende faces stiff competition in her bid to reclaim the Kampala Woman MP seat. While Malende’s discharge marks the end of a critical medical chapter, her political journey ahead is fraught with complexity.
Whether her recent ordeal becomes a rallying point for solidarity or a setback in her career will depend on how effectively she can reclaim her narrative, reconnect with grassroots support, and navigate a political system where power and persecution often go hand in hand.
Among her closest challengers is Zahara Luyirika, the Speaker of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Council, who returned her nomination forms and contributed Shs 10 million toward an initiative aimed at mobilizing resources for party campaigns.
“We are in a democratic country, and NUP is a democratic party. I’m not standing against my sister Shamim Malende. I saw a vacuum, and I’m stepping up to fill it,” Luyirika said.
Another contender is popular musician Stecia Mayanja, who was recently elected president of the National Peasants Party (NPP). She has also announced her intention to contest for the Kampala Woman MP seat in the 2026 general elections.
