A recent TikTok post circulating online claims that Uganda's Minister of State for Local Government, Balaam Barugahara, is offering financial assistance to individuals who reach out to him. The post, which features a voice-over in Luganda, instructs viewers to tap the screen and share the message, promising that the minister will send money to those who participate. However, PesaCheck has confirmed that this post is a hoax, and the account in question is impersonating the minister.
The fake account, which began posting on 13 September 2026, contains multiple posts promising financial assistance from the government official. However, the authentic TikTok account of Minister Barugahara, named Hon Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, posts about his ministerial activities and does not contain any content promising financial assistance. PesaCheck's investigation revealed that the impostor account is not affiliated with the minister and is likely attempting to scam unsuspecting individuals.
Minister Barugahara himself confirmed to PesaCheck in a message that the account promising financial support is an impostor. The minister's authentic account has a distinct content style, focusing on his official duties and activities. In contrast, the fake account's content is aimed at soliciting money from viewers, with some posts claiming that the minister is willing to provide financial assistance to those in need.
This fact-check is part of an ongoing series by PesaCheck, a public finance fact-checking initiative, examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms. PesaCheck partners with Facebook and similar platforms to help sort fact from fiction and provide the public with deeper insight and context about posts they see in their social media feeds.
PesaCheck's methodology for fact-checking involves verifying information through multiple sources and consulting with experts in relevant fields. In this case, the organisation used its expertise to quickly identify the TikTok post as a hoax and alert the public to the scam. The fact-check was written by senior PesaCheck fact-checker Pius Enywaru and edited by senior copy editor Mary Mutisya.
The article was approved for publication by PesaCheck's managing editor Doreen Wainainah. PesaCheck is East Africa's first public finance fact-checking initiative, co-founded by Catherine Gicheru and Justin Arenstein. The organisation is incubated by Code for Africa, the continent's largest civic technology and data journalism accelerator.
PesaCheck's work seeks to help the public separate fact from fiction in public pronouncements about the numbers that shape our world, with a special emphasis on pronouncements about public finances that shape government's delivery of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) public services. The organisation also tests the accuracy of media reportage, providing a valuable resource for the public and media outlets alike.
Key points
- The TikTok post claiming to offer financial assistance from Ugandan Minister Balaam Barugahara is a hoax.
- The fake account impersonating the minister began posting on 13 September 2026 and contains multiple posts promising financial assistance.
- PesaCheck partners with Facebook and similar social media platforms to help sort fact from fiction and provide the public with deeper insight and context about posts they see in their social media feeds.
