Nyanzi rallies behind Bad Black in push for Covid19 money

Controversial Makerere University researcher Dr Stella Nyanzi has vowed to mobilise sex workers to storm the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to demand payment for Bad Black.

Bad Black, whose real name is Shanita Namuyimbwa, recently went public in pushing the Ministry of Health (MoH) to pay her for appealing to fellow sex workers to shun truck drivers as a way of preventing the spread of Covid19.

She appeared in a video message played on social and electronic media.

Although she had signed no contract with MoH or any of its partner agencies in the communication campaign, Bad Black wants to be paid for the work.

“Precision Communications Consulting Limited approached various key personalities who voluntarily recorded messages as a way of giving back to their country in this Covid19 fight, among whom was Bad Black.

All these individuals were requested to voluntarily participate, and they consented before any recording was made,” said MoH in a statement.

“Bad Black, in particular, consented to record a message that was appealing to her colleagues who were at risk of contracting Covid19, and would thus spread it to other members of the community.”

But Bad Black, an ex-convict, threatened to sue MoH demanding Shs500m. 

“The oral agreement made with our client was that a meeting would be arranged between our client and President Yoweri Museveni with whom she would discuss the amount for the advert and payment, a deal to which our client agreed,” her lawyers of Musangala Advocates and Solicitors.

Since she announced she would sue government, Black has received sympathy and ridicule in equal measure.

Those supporting her push include Dr Nyanzi, a Ugandan academic who has previously stripped in court, and in protest of ejection from her office at Makerere University.

Nyanzi has vowed a protest at the OPM.

“If the Ministry of Health does not pay up, I will coordinate a group of sex workers, their clients, families and allies from all over Uganda to hold a peaceful protest at the Offices of the Prime Minister where the Covid19 Task Force sits. Some of us will undress in protest.”

It’s not only Bad Black who has raised payment concerns with MoH.

Even health workers have complained of the delay of their risk allowances.