By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
The High Court of Kampala, Civil Division has fined a senior Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) official Shs100M for libel and posting defamatory statements about a colleague on URA Senior Managers WhatsApp Forum.
The case arising from Civil Suit No: 0030 of 2023 was heard by Justice Isaac Bonny Teko who delivered the ruling on Wednesday, 17th June, 2026.
In his ruling, Justice Teko agreed with the Plaintiff, Nicholas Jjengo that indeed his colleague, James Abola committed the defamatory acts on 18th September, 2022 when he posted statements on URA senior Managers WhatsApp Forum that were injurious to his person.
The background of the suit is that Abola posted false, sensational and defamatory statements portraying the Plaintiff as a criminal wanted by Uganda Police, a reckless gunman, a violent aggressor, an adulterous and immoral person who pursued and shot another man over a woman described in the publication as a ‘skirt.’
Whereas, Abola defended himself saying he got the information from a senior Police Officer, a one, ASP Patrick Lumumba Okello, and shared the information in good faith, the Judge ruled that the publications amounted to defamation.
The Judge therefore ordered Abola to apologize to Jjengo on the same WhatsApp Forum within 14 days from the date of the ruling.
Abola is also to pay Shs70M to Jjengo in general damages for libel and additional Shs30M exemplary damages.
