MP aspirant Victoria Bagaaya under fire for allegedly failing to pay graphic designer

Victoria Winfred Bagaaya Akiiki, a woman MP aspirant for Fort Portal Tourism City, is facing backlash after a graphic designer accused her of not paying him for work done.

The controversy began when the graphic designer, who goes by @phatgraphicsug on X, said he was never paid for designing campaign materials.

He reacted to a post showing Bagaaya’s campaign poster with the comment: "And now this is the replicated version, they never #PAID for. All they did was waste my time, thinking I was working with corporate people. #NB: I have the screenshots, Mujje mpola."

Many users called for Victoria Bagaaya to settle the payment. She recently resigned from NBS TV to focus on her political campaign.

In response, Bagaaya released a statement explaining that her campaign visuals were inspired by designs she saw in Ghana during October 2024. She had visited to cover the general election where President John Mahama won.

In March 2025, as she prepared for her campaign launch, she shared her vision with her team and asked them to find a designer. Kokxin Isaac, a designer familiar to her team, was first assigned. But due to his unavailability, @phatgraphicsug stepped in temporarily to provide early design ideas.

Bagaaya explained that Ali’s creative direction did not match her vision. Her team also raised concerns over file access and conditions attached to his work. They paused the process until Kokxin Isaac returned.

She said the final poster came from her own idea and was developed independently. She added that Ali’s draft was never approved or used for any public material.

A user on X, @kezio_musoke, commented: Even if you own the idea, once you hire a creative to bring it to life, you should pay them for their time, whether you use their work or not. Creatives should sign agreements before starting work.

Bagaaya confirmed that Kokxin Isaac completed the final design and was fully paid for his work. She also said Ali’s draft was never printed or shared publicly.

She has offered to talk with Ali to resolve the matter peacefully. However, she warned that if he continues to raise the issue on social media or tries to blackmail her, she will take necessary action.