KAMPALA, Uganda — High Court Judge Collins Acellam has ordered Observer Media Ltd, publishers of The Observer newspaper, and Watchdog Communication Ltd, operators of the Watchdog news website, to pay a combined 50 million shillings in damages for publishing defamatory content about a former Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) official.
The case was filed by Kathryn Elizabeth Clark, a former Livelihood Coordinator at the UN agency, who challenged a 2020 article published by The Observer titled “Racism charges, staff troubles hit the UN-FAO agency in Uganda.”
Clark argued that the story falsely suggested she was irregularly hired by FAO and portrayed her as having a toxic working relationship with colleagues during her tenure at Catholic Relief Services.
She claimed the allegations implied that multiple staff members left her previous workplace due to an inability to work with her.
Clark further contended that the Watchdog website republished the same article alongside her photograph, amplifying the reach and impact of the defamatory content.
She told the court that the publications attracted widespread circulation online, generating comments filled with hostility and contempt, which she said damaged her reputation and undermined her international career prospects.
“The articles were published without verification and without giving me an opportunity to respond. Internal FAO investigations had cleared me of any wrongdoing, yet the allegations continued to circulate and harm my professional standing,” Clark stated in her suit.
Neither Observer Media Ltd nor Watchdog Communication Ltd filed a defence, prompting the court to hear the matter ex parte.
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In his ruling, Justice Acellam found that the repeated depiction of Clark as racist and difficult to work with constituted libel.
He noted that the inclusion of her photograph by Watchdog further aggravated the harm. The judge ordered both media houses to jointly pay 50 million shillings, retract the defamatory articles, issue an unconditional apology, and cover the legal costs of the suit.
The verdict highlights the legal consequences of publishing unverified claims, particularly those that can damage the reputations of professionals operating in international and sensitive environments.
Clark’s victory underscores the importance of media accountability and adherence to journalistic standards, emphasizing that public interest coverage must be balanced with the responsibility to verify claims before publication.
