Ben Dollar, the pope of pimps busted

Kampala has always had its pimps. Sadly, most are spoken of in ‘third person’. Being a highly discreet business, some names have always been flouted, with no concrete proof.

They operate on the premise of discreetness, busting into the racket has always been hard-of course until – The  Kampala Sun came knocking and cracked a top pimp’s code.

Previously, if you asked anyone claiming to be in the know, certain names reeled off the tongue with utmost ease.

As a result, people like Edwin Katamba (M.C. Katts), Simon Sembuya (Simon Sipate), Kim Swagger, Miles Rwamiti, Sean Ndawula of the Bikini night fame have been mentioned.

No evidence has ever been produced to link them to a business where they (heartless pimps) build empires on the graveyards of their clientele.

So this debate is perhaps put to bed. The Kampala Sun invested its time and dime and set out to get to the root of this secret society through an undercover investigation.

Our scoop, one of the biggest fish in the pimping industry, who not only sells any woman for sex but has but one whose specialty is fresh faced ‘virgins’, ranging from 18-24 years.

He has infiltrated all universities and has over 350 girls signed onto his company. He is called Ben Dollar. He is the Pope of pimping

He owns Dollar Modeling Agency, a company that of recent provided female models/ushers for Heineken and Desperados activations.

In a startling confession, he tells our undercover reporter that most of the girls under his agency have since grown old; he intends to recruit over 150 girls to boost the freshness of his ‘stock’ next month (October), when University freshers have settled in.

What is sad is that he also preys on his beautiful girls before turning them into high-end prostitutes and some of the girls feed off anything he says.

They have been hypnotized by him, and how low they sink only depends on how far he is willing to expose them to the rigors of the sordid sex slave world. He is unapologetic and sees no wrong in his business.

Judging from the way he speaks, it is a rosy world for pimps out there. He talks up a high-flying lifestyle laced with champagne, parties and money, thanks to his goldmine, which is luring unsuspecting girls into high-end prostitution.

Setting up appointment

Friday August 22, a chat with a top female DJ, who works at a Bugolobi based radio station, gives us our first pointers. She affirms that there is a pimp in Kampala, who offers campus girls, especially those from Kampala International University (KIU) and Makerere University for sex, for as ‘low’ as $100 (sh260,000).

We have the money and are willing to go the distance. She then Whatsapps the undercover reporter’s cell phone to the pimp’s number and the rest are details. “I have a friend who needs to get laid.

He has $100.” When I check for confirmation, I see the name “Ben”. “He will get you what you want and will contact you shortly,” she assures and moves on.

Like one not to throw a business opportunity, he calls asking for specifications of the kind of girl I need. “Slender with some booty,” I respond.

In the next couple of minutes, my Whatsapp chat is clogged by pictures of ladies to choose from. There are over 20 pictures in different poses. Some are dressed in alcohol beverage branded T-shirts.

Fifi comes to Forest Mall

Failing weather is no reason to stop a business plan. When I alert Ben Dollar that I never got back to him since I never really liked the women at Africana, he promises to up on the offer. He tells me of a one Phiona, a ‘hot bird’ who has a mixture of Ankole and Kinyarwanda blood. He then talks of another hot one he would have brought, but who sadly has lectures and can only be free at 10:00pm.

“I am at Forest Mall,” I tell him on Monday at 2:00pm in the afternoon. I have my camera crew secretly recording proceedings. He joins me in 20 minutes. However, this particular girl Fifi will not come soon, since it is short notice. 

“She is coming from Nsambya,” he says as a way of assurance. Fifi will go down for sh400,000. As it is with the rest, I am not supposed to talk any money with the girls.

After paying, all I am supposed to do is lead the girls for slaughter. When I prod, he half offers. “I pay  them well.  They take 60% of the money, I take 40%.”

I am bent on milking more words out of him. “How safe are they?” “Boss, these are fresh campus girls, they are very safe,” he assures. I see someone bent on cashing in. He badgers me for the money and to create urgency, declares he has business to close with Heineken guys.

“I have over 350 girls and I am doing auditions. I auditioned last year and got 150 girls.  They are old and I am going to audition again next month,” he assures.

As it turned out Ben Dollar’s birthday was the following week, Thursday and he had planned a birthday excursion where he would serve the girls to some of his biggest clients, who he had since invited. One of his happy clients, a property mogul in town had promised to fund the birthday.

“If you do good business with me, I will invite you next week for my birthday,” he told me.

Girls forced to trade

With a toothy grin, Ben Dollar admits that not all his girls are on campus. He has, however, taught them to carry themselves like some in dress and poise, what they probably don’t know are the course units.

As it is, not all the girls at Dollar Modeling Agency are into his shoddy works. He selects the sharp ones and dangles money in their faces. His company does promotions and fashion shows but only a few know of his other trade.

“Almost all the girls come without the knowledge of pimping. They are not supposed to know about it. I choose who to induct into the business. I usually pick out the sharp ones who are worth it,” He says.

Ben Dollar claims to approach the girls with one standard question: “Do you want money?” Since most answer in the affirmative, they end up in the practice.

When Fifi walks in on us, she appears timid. She fiddles with her phone and from her look, dreads the prospect of anyone known to her meeting us together.

We walk from Good African Coffee right to the Stanchart ATM machine at Forest Mall.

“She is a student at Kampala International University, but also helps with her mother’s shop,” Ben Dollar says as a way of introduction.

Knowing a stunning beauty is within our midst, Ben knows the effect she has. I am lulled to think that he uses her as a pawn with other guys. He will accept no less than sh400,000.

As the bargaining takes place, she is out of ear shot. However, it appears she knows the drill. We haggle for over 20 minutes and I painfully pay sh300,000. Business is done. She will not warm up to me even after she knows I have paid.

Instead, she lets Ben Dollar lead her by the waist to my car, which is parked nearby. I walk paces ahead and he duly delivers her. With the money in his grasp, Ben Dollar is in no mood to chit-chat. He signals to walk away as soon as Fifi occupies the passenger seat in my car.

He jumps on a boda boda and is off. At this point, my heart is racing and my groin is an out of control pendulum. We are supposed to go to Fair Mile Hotel Kanyanya. We don’t reach. I lose concentration as I drive.

Her hands are expertly all over my loins and by the time I reach Kisaasi, I “explode”. Sh300,000 gone.

I make it known to her that we need some quality time together, and she will have none of it. She even calls Ben Dollar and assures him I am being disruptive! When she threatens to cause a scene, I count my losses and let her leave. It ends like that.

I don’t know how many are robbed each day. Ironically, Ben Dollar wonders why I never handled her well, when I later voice my displeasure!

Long list of clients

Ben Dollar jokes that if he were to do a tagline for his business, it would be “Supplying wealthy men with many mistresses.” He admits that the pimping business is dangerous, thanks to its high-profile perpetrators including army officers, celebrities, corporates and expatriates, among others.

Some showy down town corporates have joined the long list of men who contact him for services.

“Business is very lucrative especially when campusers are back. But I also pimp corporate girls, especially those working with small microfinance institutions.   They are paid peanuts there and hence need a top-up,” he boasts.

He knows what he is doing is illegal but all he cares for is how to bring in the mighty dollar. “I am aware that pimping is illegal, but I will do anything for the money. As long as it is unnoticeable, it is okay.

Besides, what does government want its graduates to do? As far as I am concerned, I am responsible for the well-being of very many people, I deserve posh cars, mansions and other luxuries,” he concludes.

Aaaliyah costs a fortune

They are pretty girls. True to what I hear, they are nubile and are not more than 25 years. A one Aaliyah is by far the prettiest.

I make my pick and duly communicate. Sadly for me, Aaliyah (I doubt it is her real name) costs a fortune. To get her, I am supposed to up on the offer. She goes for $270 (sh700,000), unlike the rest.true

After haggling, I posture like I am ready to pay sh400,000. His last price is sh500,000 and the terms are Take it or leave it.

I oblige and ask him to meet me at Hotel Africana at 7:00pm. He offers to bring me two or three to choose from and I assure him that it would be my pleasure.

Then around 8:00pm I get a message from him that he has arrived. I direct him to Nile Hall and on getting there, I see this chocolate coloured, chubby looking guy of about 27 years clad in a brown T-shirt.

He introduces himself and then I tell him that he looks like a guy called “Ben Dollar” and he then asks, “What do you know about Ben Dollar,” but don’t answer him.

We chit- chat and he assures me that the girls are on their way and that I was to pay for the transport costs. He then looks me in the eye and says, “Under no circumstance are you supposed to talk or give the girl you choose money. All monies are supposed to go through me”.

I go back into the hall and after 45 minutes he alerts me that the girls have arrived. True, the girls are pretty, but aren’t naïve. I have a trick up my sleeve.

When Ben Dollar excuses himself, perhaps to take a client’s call, I talk business to one of the girls behind his back. I am willing to pay sh200, 000. We are in business after she takes my contacts.

Ben Dollar overlapped

Feigning fatigue and a busy schedule, I part with sh50,000 to the pimp for transport refund, and we agree to meet the following day to follow up on business. He curses in a whatsapp message.

“Kyonkoze papa. Naye let me take them out brie fly then take them home. Don’t worry I won’t serve your woman, you will get her tomorrow, fresh,” he types.

The next day, Saturday, at around 2:00pm I get a call from the girl and I ask her to meet me at the Philip Omondi Stadium, Lugogo. She accepts to come there but later changes her mind.

At 6:25pm I call her and tell her that I am heading to Kisaasi and she says that since she is in Kyebando we should meet along the Northern By-pass.

She is called Esther. With the tact of a high-end prostitute, she makes it known that she only serves her clients at high end apartments like Royal Suites, Prestige Apartments and others of the like.

Convincing her to negotiate a ‘happy ending’ with me at the modest Fair Mile hotel in nearby Kanyanya, which goes for sh25,000 almost hits a dead end. Just to extract more information, I pay for the room.

What happens next is a business like a¬ffair, where one demands money banked in their bra before anything else can happen. It is a turn off. I am willing to cut my losses. With no sex, I just offer transport and the insults rent the air. Hiding this fact from Ben Dollar, I ask him to come clean and offer ‘real women’.

THE KAMPALA SUN