Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament Betty Nambooze has raised fresh concerns about growing political mistrust in Uganda, warning that fear of poisoning has become so widespread among political leaders that some legislators are reluctant to consume food and drinks served during official parliamentary meetings.
Speaking during a recent parliamentary sitting, the National Unity Platform (NUP) legislator painted a disturbing picture of the level of suspicion within the country’s political establishment, saying that even ordinary refreshments served during committee meetings are increasingly viewed with fear.
“You give snacks in a committee, and no one touches them because they think they are going to be poisoned,” Nambooze told Parliament.
Her remarks have reignited debate about the state of political relations in Uganda, particularly the growing atmosphere of suspicion among political actors who are expected to work together despite their ideological and party differences.
Although Nambooze did not identify specific poisoning incidents or present evidence of an organised attempt to harm legislators, her warning highlighted what she described as a dangerous breakdown of confidence within political institutions.
The concerns are not entirely new. Similar fears reportedly emerged in Parliament in 2022, when anxieties surrounding food served at the parliamentary canteen attracted attention.
In 2015, former intelligence coordinator General David Sejusa also made claims suggesting that some government officials preferred carrying their own snacks to meetings because of fears that food provided by others could be unsafe.
Nambooze’s latest intervention, however, went beyond parliamentary refreshments, suggesting that political suspicion has spread into ordinary social interactions and traditional cultural gatherings.
She warned that political divisions were increasingly affecting activities such as burials, where Ugandans from different political backgrounds traditionally gather to mourn, comfort families and demonstrate solidarity.
The legislator cautioned that the country’s political environment could deteriorate further if the underlying grievances, mistrust and unresolved concerns surrounding electoral violence are not addressed.
Her description of Uganda as a country sitting on a “time bomb” reflects concerns about the possible consequences of allowing political tensions to continue without meaningful intervention.
