From volleyball court to parliament: The remarkable journey of Hellen Nakimuli

COBAP Volleyball Club head coach and one of the founding members, Henry Magadu, has described the late club president Hellen Nakimuli as the key figure who transformed the club from a small community club into a strong talent factory in Ugandan volleyball.

Nakimuli was the Woman Member of Parliament for Kalangala District.

Magadu said Nakimuli joined COBAP in 2011 as a university student who was eager to learn and develop in volleyball. At that time, the club was still growing but had a strong vision of using sport for social change.

"Hellen joined COBAP UG in 2011 as a student at university willing to learn and advance in volleyball. We took her on and trained her. The club was built with a holistic approach of seeing transformation in different aspects of life, using sports as a tool for socialisation and mobilisation," Magadu said.

COBAP started from the Nakulabye suburbs as a community-based club. It focused not only on volleyball but also on youth development through talent identification, training, and exposure.

The club also ran wider community programmes, including youth income-generating activities, sanitation campaigns, and community seminars across Nakulabye's nine zones.

"These things shaped many athletes into social workers, and others joined politics. They shaped Hellen's social and political life because athletes were allowed to take leadership roles within the club," Magadu said.

Nakimuli later became the longest-serving club president and the first female president of COBAP, a position that changed her life and leadership journey.

"Hellen became a very social, humble, God-fearing and straightforward leader. There was no stain on the club under her leadership. She was responsible, accountable, and always wished the best for others," he said.

Magadu added that she was also very close to players, especially young girls, and often provided counselling and mentorship.

"It was hard to see her angry. On and off the court she was the same Hellen – encouraging, realistic and a fighter," he said.

Nakimuli later extended her community work to Kalangala, where she supported volleyball development and social activities.

"She once even funded us to go and grow volleyball in Kalangala, and we did very well," Magadu said.

Magadu said COBAP supported her political journey because she was already a community leader. She successfully became the Woman Member of Parliament for Kalangala District and served a first term.

"After the first term, she told us she wanted another term, then step back and focus on other things including the club. Unfortunately, that did not happen," he said.

As president, Nakimuli supported three COBAP teams: one women's team (COBAP) and two men's teams (COBAP.UG Volleyball Club and Laureus Volleyball Club).

"She had better plans for the club that she kept for herself, which she wanted to implement after her second term," he said.

He said her vision was to build responsible athletes on and off the court, and COBAP has achieved that, with about 90% of players in Ugandan clubs having passed through its system.

Among them is Fahad Zungu, currently playing for Nemostars Volleyball Club and featuring in Rwanda for the African Club Championship. Others include Wilfred Masaaba (now at Police Volleyball Club), Irene Mbabazi (Vision Volleyball Club), Eric Kalende (who moved from KCCA Volleyball Club to Police VC), and many others across Uganda and beyond.

Nakimuli also showed ambition at the national level when she contested for the vice presidency of the Uganda Volleyball Federation in 2021, though she did not succeed.

She remained active in volleyball even while serving in politics, often training at Nkumba University.

She also captained the Uganda Parliamentary Women's Volleyball Team, leading them to victory at the 2024 East African Inter-Parliamentary Games in Mombasa, where they defended their title.

On the court, she was known for her versatility, leadership, and powerful attacking play. Off the court, she advocated for better sports structures, including an independent Ministry of Sports.

Her burial is scheduled for Thursday in Luwero District.

Magadu concluded that Nakimuli's legacy will remain deeply rooted in Ugandan volleyball.

"She transformed COBAP into a talent factory, but more than that, she built people, leaders, and a system that will continue long after her," he said.