Minister Nameere sends $10,000 to embattled TikToker Benitah, vows to get her new job

Junior Local Government Minister Justine Nameere has said she is sending $10,000 to Ugandan TikToker Benita Nakabugo after the social media personality lost her job in Bahrain following a political backlash.

Nameere also promised to help Nakabugo, who uses the name Benitah256MadamViolence on TikTok, secure another job if her former employer does not reverse its decision.

“I wish to condemn the acts of inciting and threatening violence and blackmail against Benitah,” Nameere said.

“She is a blameless jolly fellow who wakes up in the morning, posts some videos and goes to work. She has a constitutional right to employment and to her political views.”

Nakabugo announced that she had lost her job at The Matcha Space in Bahrain after Ugandan social media users targeted the company over comments she made following Uganda's 2026 presidential election.

After the election, Nakabugo, who has more than 1.2 million TikTok followers, reminded National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters that their candidate had lost and that President Museveni would be sworn in.

The comments angered some opposition supporters. The dispute later reached her workplace after The Matcha Space posted a video featuring her.

Ugandan social media users flooded the company's pages with accusations against Nakabugo. Some also posted negative Google reviews.

Nameere criticised those behind the campaign and questioned why they expected Nakabugo to share their political views.

“The NUP people who are attacking that girl, when you come out to attack President Museveni and his family and we who are serving in the NRM and call us all kinds of names, whom do you consult first?” she asked.

“What makes you believe that she owes you anything and ought to have the same views as you?”

Nameere said she had established contact with Nakabugo after learning about the controversy while in the field.

“Luckily, we are in touch with her; I was in the field when I got to know about her situation. I assured her that nothing bad will come to her,” she said.

The minister said efforts were also made to explain the dispute to Nakabugo's employer.

“It took a while to try to explain to her bosses (because in that country they don't have this kind of politics) that someone out of pure evil intentions can do something bad to another because of politics,” Nameere said.

“We sought to inform the company that she was not what she was being described as and that the attacks on their business accounts were by ill-intentioned people who wanted to blackmail her.”

Nameere said she would welcome a decision by the company to retain Nakabugo but promised to help her find alternative employment if that failed.

“If they carry on employing her, we shall be grateful. If, however, they choose to let her go, we shall get her another job,” she said.

The minister then announced financial support for Nakabugo.

“In fact, I have directed my bank and my personal assistant to get her bank information. I am sending her 10,000 dollars, so you can understand that President Museveni is still in charge,” Nameere said.

Nakabugo had earlier blamed NUP supporters for her dismissal. She asked them to stop contacting the company now that she had lost her job.

The Matcha Space has not publicly explained the circumstances surrounding the end of Nakabugo's employment.