Minister Justine Nameere has pushed back against recent claims by media personality Faridah Nakazibwe about a long-running defamation dispute, insisting the 2019 case did not collapse because she failed to pursue it.
Instead, the Junior Local Government Minister says broadcaster Andrew Kyamagero intervened before the matter reached its conclusion, prompting her to abandon the legal process.
The latest exchange revives a dispute that has remained part of public conversation for years and has resurfaced following comments made during a separate controversy involving Cissy Nanyange.
The renewed disagreement began after Faridah Nakazibwe claimed on X that Nameere sued her for defamation in 2019 but failed to attend mediation or court proceedings.
Nakazibwe also alleged that the minister later withdrew the case after publicly claiming she had won it.
Responding to those remarks, Nameere rejected the suggestion that she has a history of abandoning defamation lawsuits.
According to Nameere, the decision not to continue with the case was influenced by Andrew Kyamagero’s intervention rather than an inability to sustain legal action.
She also maintained that she has previously pursued defamation cases successfully.
To support that claim, Nameere referred to an earlier case involving a man who allegedly accused her of failing to pay him after a journey from Masaka to Mbarara and back to Kampala.
She said she won that case and that the man later apologised.
Nameere used the example to argue that Nakazibwe’s description of her legal record was inaccurate.
The disagreement between the two public figures dates back to 2019.
According to the available information, the dispute began after Nakazibwe accused Nameere of attempting to interfere with her relationship with Omar Ssali.
Nakazibwe alleged that Nameere had created multiple Facebook accounts to spread false information about her.
Following those allegations, Nameere filed a defamation suit seeking Shs500 million in damages.
She also sought to block Nakazibwe from travelling to the United States, where the broadcaster was scheduled to host an event.
The source further states that Nakazibwe later said she realised Omar Ssali was not genuine and publicly admitted she had been deceived.
Nameere said she had no interest in reopening the dispute despite Nakazibwe’s latest remarks.
“I don’t want to go back into issues with that woman because she has been managed by karma already, I do not need to hit her again. Karma has managed her, men have taken her to the depths of hell. She has been lied to about everything, therefore see no sense in adding to that.”
She also defended her record in defamation litigation. “The truth is I have sued people before and won. There was another guy who was used by someone when I contested in youth politics. He came out and claimed that he drove me from Masaka to Mbarara and back to Kampala and I did not pay him.”
She continued: “I sued that man and won and got him arrested. He was hailed for about 3 weeks and he apologized. What has Nakazibwe got to say about that if she claims that I am a person who cannot sustain a lawsuit?”
Addressing the dispute with Nakazibwe directly, Nameere claimed the broadcaster had been spared from an unfavourable outcome because of Kyamagero’s involvement.
“She knows the truth that in her case she was saved by Andrew Kyamagero. The case was very close to being decided ex-parte and she had no defense at all.”
She added: “Andrew intervened, she came clean; she admitted she was in the wrong and I forgave her and left her to the world to manage her.”
Nameere concluded her remarks by saying: “I am not even mad at her.”
While Nameere has publicly explained why she says the lawsuit did not proceed to judgment, several aspects of her account have not been independently confirmed.
There is no confirmed court record cited in the available information establishing that the case was close to being decided ex parte.
It has also not been independently confirmed that Nakazibwe admitted wrongdoing or that any settlement was reached following Andrew Kyamagero’s alleged intervention.
The available information also does not include any response from Kyamagero regarding Nameere’s latest claims.
Likewise, no additional response from Nakazibwe beyond her earlier public comments is included in the verified material.
The latest war of words follows Nakazibwe’s advice to Cissy Nanyange not to fear legal action from Nameere over a dispute involving unpaid coffee seedlings.
According to the available information, Nakazibwe argued that Nameere had a history of failing to pursue court cases.
The source also states that State House later clarified that Masaka City NRM chairman Rogers Bulegeya, and not Cissy Nanyange, was responsible for settling the debt.
Whether either party will take further legal or public action following the renewed exchange remains unknown.
The renewed disagreement between Justine Nameere and Faridah Nakazibwe has brought a 2019 defamation dispute back into the spotlight, with Nameere insisting the case ended because of Andrew Kyamagero’s intervention rather than a lack of commitment to legal action.
However, several of the central claims made about how the case was resolved, including the alleged intervention, the claimed admission of wrongdoing and the stage the proceedings had reached, remain unverified based on the available information, leaving the latest public exchange as competing accounts rather than fact.
