Last week, this investigative news website reported that a smear campaign against the state minister for children and youth affairs, Balaam Barugahara, was launched and about to be unleashed.
Only days later, (on Monday), allegations of him raping an unsuspecting social media user started making rounds, of course, as part of the larger plan to ‘finish off’ the minister from the Bunyoro area.
The well-orchestrated move is championed by his colleagues, Plus News, has learnt. These include both his friends and renowned enemies, in and out of government with the aim of tarnishing his reputation and credibility.
The group, which consists of some members of Cabinet, Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), and the opposition, wants to first of all put a stop to his political aspirations, but also, to undermine him before the President and Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to whom his loyalty is not disputed.
It should be noted that Balaam holds a master’s degree and has effectively represented government in parliament and on other important avenues.
It appears that those scheming his downfall have never come to terms with the reality that Balaam Barugahara a renowned events promoter was appointed minister yet they presumed that they are better than him, and so, they deserved the position.
In fact, they anticipated for nothing but failure only to be treated to a humiliating disappointment. Balaam is arguably one of the best performing ministers.
Since his appointment in March 2024, he has exhibited unmatched potential to deliver, including fighting for children’s rights, mobilising the youth to engage in government programs aimed at bettering their lives as well as spearheading the successful release of supporters of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP).
He singlehandedly vowed to engage with the President to have these prisoners (many of them youth) released, which indeed happened in less than a year.
This marked the onset to being fought, for he did what many, including Parliament had failed. The crafting of the scheme then started.
They kicked off with raising and claiming conflict of interest on the side of the minister in supplying some items for a youth event. In this case, he floored them hands down and rendered the allegations completely baseless.
After this humiliating defeat, the arctects of the smear scheme then resorted to employing other avenues that include among others rape, defilement, corruption, eviction, assault and murder. This explains why the most recent claim of rape is not a surprise. It is a scheme, a mere allegation.
In fact, a couple of months ago, Gen Kainerugaba vowed not to forsake Balaam Barugahara despite being framed and blackmailed, pointing to a possibility that the schemers had approached the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) to taint Balaam’s reputation.
In the particular allegation of raping a social media user, Balaam wondered why his ‘Sister in Christ’ had accepted to be hired and used to taint his good reputation.
“Nnalongo, my sister in Christ. Who has hired you to blackmail me? What are you going through that has forced you to damage my reputation. Your tweet was sent to me by my firstborn. How am I supposed to respond to my child? Your intentions are totally wrong, and your tweets aren’t true,” Balaam responded.
We have established that similar allegations will be made in the next couple of months.
“He defeated us twice, but we should not relent. We have to push until something happens. We must finish him both politically and his businesses,” one of the arctects of the blackmail vows in an audio we exclusively got.
In our next report, we will expose the identities of the individuals behind this scheme.