KAMPALA — Ugandan TikToker Benita256 has returned Shs5 million given to her by State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere, saying she decided to refund the money after taking issue with statements made by the minister in a video.
Benita, who uses the social-media handle @nakabugo_benita, announced the refund on Tuesday, August 18, saying she did not want the disagreement to create a misunderstanding between the two women.
“Today, I decided to refund Hon. Nameere’s money because of the video she made yesterday,” Benita said in a post on X.
She alleged that the video contained statements that were not true, although she did not specify which claims she disputed.
“I believe the video contained many things that were not true, and I don’t want any misunderstanding between us,” she said.
Despite returning the money, Benita thanked Nameere for the assistance she had previously given her.
“I still want to thank her for everything she has done for me and for the help she gave me. I truly appreciate it, and I wish her all the best,” she said.
The refund follows an earlier post by Benita in which she acknowledged receiving the Shs5 million from Nameere.
“After all the stupid things you recorded, Hon Nameere still gave me 5M,” Benita wrote on Monday, expressing gratitude for the financial assistance.
From Bahrain job loss to public appeal
The money was reportedly given to Benita after she lost a job opportunity in Bahrain following controversy surrounding comments she made on social media.
The dispute subsequently drew public attention, with Nameere becoming involved in efforts to assist the TikToker.
According to the account circulating online, Nameere had initially pledged $10,000, equivalent to more than Shs35 million at current exchange rates, before her team revised the amount after reviewing the circumstances surrounding Benita’s situation.
The final assistance was Shs5 million, which Benita said she intended to use to clear a debt.
The latest development has now turned the episode into a public disagreement, with Benita choosing to return the money rather than allow the dispute to continue.
Nameere’s growing public profile
Nameere, the elected Masaka City Woman MP and State Minister for Local Government, has maintained a high public profile since entering Parliament.
Before politics, she was a television presenter and media personality. She was appointed State Minister for Local Government in 2026, and Parliament’s Appointments Committee vetted her along with other newly appointed ministers in June.
During the vetting process, Nameere said her ministry would take action against corrupt local-government officials and strengthen supervision of local-government revenue collection.
Her relationship with social-media personalities and public figures has also attracted attention amid her transition from media to politics.
Earlier this year, Nameere was at the centre of a separate political controversy after she was arrested shortly after her swearing-in as Masaka City Woman MP. She was later released and said security officials had questioned her about her political activities and her relationship with former Speaker Anita Among.
The TikToker’s decision to return the Shs5 million has nevertheless been presented by Benita as a personal effort to prevent the latest disagreement from escalating.
Neither Nameere nor her office had, by the time of publication, publicly responded to Benita’s announcement of the refund.
The circumstances surrounding the original assistance, the disputed video and the specific statements Benita considers untrue remain unclear from the public posts.
For now, Benita says she has chosen to give back the money while maintaining her appreciation for the help she received.