Minister Nameere Clears the Air: Why TikToker Benitah Got Shs5m Instead of Promised $10,000

What the report says

KAMPALA — Watchdog Uganda reports that State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere has explained why TikTok personality Benitah received Shs5 million rather than the $10,000 she says had originally been discussed. The dispute drew public attention after Benitah said she had lost her job in Bahrain and later accused the minister of failing to honor the larger pledge.

According to the article, Nameere said her team carried out background checks after the initial promise and found inconsistencies in Benitah’s account of her situation abroad. On that basis, her advisers recommended against releasing the full amount. Nameere said the eventual payment was made after Benitah asked for Shs5 million to help settle an urgent debt in Bahrain.

The minister said the money was sent through her personal assistant and framed the decision as one of accountability and verification rather than bad faith. The report suggests the episode has become a broader online debate about public assistance, personal claims made on social media, and the need to confirm details before offering support.

Watchdog Uganda’s account does not provide independent documentation of the disputed claims, and the matter appears to remain centered on the competing versions shared by the minister and Benitah.