KAMPALA, Uganda — The High Court has ordered journalist Henry Lubulwa to pay Sh60 million in damages after finding him liable for defaming Letshego Uganda Limited and its chief executive officer, Germany Giles Aijukwe.
Lubulwa, through his online publication Entebbe Post, was found to have published defamatory allegations claiming that Aijukwe and Letshego had fraudulently sold the house of one Alex Niyonzima.
Court records show that Letshego Uganda had extended a loan to Niyonzima, who subsequently mortgaged his property in Kisasi, Nakawa Division, as collateral. The borrower later defaulted on repayment obligations despite several reminders from the financial institution.
Following the default, Letshego initiated foreclosure proceedings and later sold the property to Betty Kyomuhendo. The plaintiffs maintained that the transaction was lawful and had not been challenged in any court.
According to court documents, in January 2023, while Aijukwe was on official leave in the United States, Lubulwa contacted him seeking comment on allegations raised by Niyonzima regarding the sale of the property. Aijukwe provided an explanation of the foreclosure process and maintained that the transaction was lawful.
However, on January 27, 2023, Lubulwa published a story on the Entebbe Post website titled: “Letshego CEO flees country after controversial sale of borrower’s property.”
The plaintiffs argued that the publication was false, malicious and damaging to their reputation, and sought its removal alongside damages.
In his ruling, Justice Collins Acellam found that the publication was defamatory and had lowered the reputation of both the company and its chief executive in the eyes of the public.
“The publication by the defendant exposed the plaintiffs to hatred and ridicule and indeed lowered their standing before right-thinking members of society,” the judge said.
He further noted that public comments generated by the article included accusations describing the plaintiffs as “thieves” and engaging in “fraudulent” conduct, which he said were damaging to the reputation of a financial institution.
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Justice Acellam awarded Shs50 million in general damages and Sh10 million in exemplary damages, taking into account the seriousness of the allegations and their wide circulation online.
“In respect of the first plaintiff, its integrity and business reputation were attacked. In respect of the second plaintiff, his moral character was impugned by allegations of dishonesty, fraud and lack of professionalism,” the ruling stated.
The court also ordered Lubulwa to issue an unqualified apology on the Entebbe Post website and across all platforms where the defamatory article was published. He was further directed to bear the costs of the suit.
