Teen social media personality Pretty Nicole has accused State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Hon. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, of failing to deliver on promises he made to support her education and international mentorship.
Pretty Nicole, whose real name is Musimenta Emmanuella, said in a televised interview with BBS Terefayina that the minister “never fulfilled any of the promises he made” after publicly pledging to support her rehabilitation earlier this year.
“He never paid my fees,” she said. “Maybe he was happy that I had decided to go back to school, but it was all propaganda. I don’t know anything about the ambassadorial post he talked about.”
Nicole, who has previously been a subject of controversy online, had been offered a reported package of support from the minister—including school tuition and a proposed trip to Canada to learn from youth rehabilitation initiatives abroad.
At the time, Hon. Balaam had also floated the idea of naming her as a youth ambassador, citing her potential to influence other young people positively.
But speaking on BBS, Nicole dismissed the post as “political,” adding: “Personally, I make my own money. I get gigs and I’m paid clean money. I’m not a fan of politics. They never appointed me and I don’t want to take part in that.”
In a statement released on Thursday evening, the minister responded to her claims, cautioning against what he called “unsubstantiated accusations.”
“I would like to clarify certain matters regarding a recent visa application and school fees,” he said. “The Canadian visa denial was beyond my control, as I do not have authority over visa offices.”
He added that Pretty Nicole had received the necessary bank documents from promoter Andrew Mukasa, also known as Bajjo, in support of her application. On the matter of school fees, Balaam said he had asked a third party, Mr Onyango Robert, to provide proof of payment to Kyambogo school, but no receipt had been submitted.
“I urge the young lady to refrain from making unsubstantiated claims and instead focus on resolving her issues,” he added.
