False: No Evidence Links Hon. Zaake to the Death of Hon. Nakimuli

Following the death of Kalangala Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Helen Nakimuli, a claim began circulating on social media attempting to explain the circumstances surrounding the MP’s passing.  Among these is a widely shared allegation accusing the Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament, Hon.Francis Zaake of being responsible for her death.

The claim shared by Faith.sufficient0 on TikTok and amplified by Akello Jane Mary on X asserts that Hon. Nakimuli was pregnant by Hon. Zaake and that the two were attempting to terminate the pregnancy at the time of her death, further asking  NUP to consider it while carrying out its investigations.

Shared on April 21, 2026 the post garnered  4,534 Views by the time of publication of this fact check. The post reads: “ @ZaakeFrancis yeyaletede ono omubaka okufa kuba yamufunisa olubuta babade bagenze kulujamu. @NUP_Ug put this in consideration as you continue with the investigations”

Facts
On April 19, 2026, Hon. Nakimuli died at Alexandra Medical Center, in Kampala  after an unsuccessful surgery. 

Media reports about her death do not mention such allegations, nor do they link Hon. Zaake to her passing in any way as reported here, here.  Additionally, no investigative authority or law enforcement body, including police has named Hon. Zaake as a person of interest in relation to her death.

While both politicians subscribe to the same party (NUP), and may have had professional interactions, there is no verified evidence suggesting any romantic relationship between them.

Evidence
Our findings using the Infor Verifier revealed that there is no evidence that Hon. Zaake caused the death of Hon. Nakimuli.

Results from the info verifier stated: “There is no evidence to suggest that Hon. Francis Zaake caused the death of Hon. Helen Nakimuli. She passed away following an unsuccessful surgical procedure on April 19, 2026. Zaake, along with other members of Parliament, has publicly expressed condolences and paid tribute to her contributions.” 

 The tool also revealed that the two were close friends and not lovers, Zaake shared that Nakimuli had communicated her need for prayers prior to her surgery as reported by the Monitor and Pulse Uganda.

While conducting a media monitoring we noticed that there was no mention of the allegations being circulated online but rather confirmed circumstances under which she passed, as she underwent surgery, which was unsuccessful, leading to her passing as reported here and here.

According to Dr. Castro Kisuule, the Chief Executive Officer at the facility, Hon. Nakimuli died following complications from the procedure.

“The 40-year-old legislator died on April 19, at Alexandra Medical Centre in Kampala following an unsuccessful surgery at the facility.” He said in a statement published by the Monitor

The claim also states that she was pregnant and had gone for an abortion; however, reports indicate that she had gone to the hospital for a medical procedure related to uterine fibroids, not a pregnancy. Accounts from colleagues and media sources describe the procedure as one she approached as relatively routine. 

“Colleagues had earlier noted that she had reportedly driven herself to the hospital on the day of the procedure, underscoring what many believed to be a minor and low-risk intervention.” reads a Nile Post article

Amidst all public scrutiny on the hospital, the public has been advised to keep calm as investigations are still ongoing.

“Investigations into the exact cause of death are ongoing, with a comprehensive report expected upon completion of further medical and procedural assessments.” reads the last paragraph of the Nile Post 

There is no credible or verified information from official sources, family statements, medical reports, or reputable media confirming that Hon. Nakimuli was pregnant at the time of her death or that she had any relationship with Francis Zaake. However a report shows that he demanded answers about the circumstances under which she died as reported here.

Methodology

We used the Info Verifier tool and media monitoring to verify  the claim.

The Debunk Info Verifier Tool

We used the tool to find out about the alleged cause of death of the late Hon. Nakimuli. The results showed that there was no evidence linking Hon. Zaake to the late Hon. Nakimuli’s  death. The tool also revealed their close relationship as friends and not lovers. 

Media monitoring 

The death of Hon. Nakimuli was widely covered and we knew that the media would definitely cover the cause of her death. We monitored the news and what was being published about the cause of her death and we found no reports about Hon. Zaake being linked to her death except that she suffered complications from the surgery. 

Verdict:
False. Hon. Zaake did not cause the death of Hon. Nakimuli or that she was pregnant for him but rather had an unsuccessful surgery.  The allegation is unsubstantiated and should be treated as misinformation. 

This fact-check was produced by NAMAJJA ELIZABETH with support from the Debunk Media Initiative and BBC Media Action.