Uganda's Hypers Kids Africa caught in Brazilian election storm

Ugandan dance group Hypers Kids Africa has deleted a campaign video supporting Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and pledged to return cryptocurrency tokens worth about $20,000 following an electoral complaint filed by the camp of incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The Kampala-based group found itself caught up in Brazil’s heated presidential contest after a video featuring children dancing to a song urging Brazilians to vote for Bolsonaro sparked allegations of irregular electoral advertising and the exploitation of minors.

The video, posted on October 7, showed the children wearing yellow T-shirts emblazoned with “B22 token”, a cryptocurrency project reportedly offering tokens to people who shared online content supporting Bolsonaro, a right-wing senator and son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.

In the caption accompanying the video, Hypers Kids Africa announced that it had received B22 tokens through the partnership.

Speaking to BBC News Brasil, the group estimated their value at about $20,000 (Sh90m), saying the money would help complete the construction of their home in Uganda.

However, the arrangement attracted legal scrutiny after Lula’s electoral coalition filed a complaint alleging irregular campaign advertising, abuse of economic power and the use of children for political promotion.

Following the backlash, Hypers Kids Africa removed the video on October 8, apologised and promised to return the tokens.

The group said its intention had been to raise money to complete its housing project, rather than get involved in Brazilian party politics. It did not, however, specify when or how the cryptocurrency would be returned.

Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court subsequently ordered the suspension of the B22 website. Judge Estela Aranha cited indications that the scheme offered financial incentives linked to online electoral advertising, potentially undermining fair competition.

The interim measures also prohibited the offer or distribution of B22 tokens and ordered the preservation of relevant digital records.

Bolsonaro’s campaign distanced itself from the project, denying that it had hired the promoters or financed their activities. The campaign also sought legal action over the use of the candidate’s name and image.

The controversy comes amid a closely contested presidential race, with Bolsonaro reportedly securing about 47% of the first-round vote against Lula’s 45%, leaving the contest to be decided in a run-off scheduled for October 25, 2026.

For Hypers Kids Africa, what began as an attempt to raise money for a home-building project has turned into an international political controversy, placing the Ugandan performers at the centre of a debate over cryptocurrency, campaign financing and the involvement of children in political advertising.