Jinja High Court has ordered a mother and her son to pay Shs20 million to a magistrate after finding that they published false and defamatory allegations accusing him of forging documents, abusing his office and engaging in professional misconduct.
The High Court in Jinja has ordered a woman and her son to pay a magistrate Shs20 million in damages after finding them liable for defaming him over allegations linked to a family dispute.
In a judgment dated September 1, 2026, Justice Joanita Bushara ordered Mrs Lovisa Ayazika and her son, Balondemu Andrew, to jointly and severally pay His Worship Steven Johnson Waidhuuba Shs20 million in general damages, together with interest and costs of the suit.
The court also issued a permanent injunction restraining the two defendants, their agents or anyone acting on their behalf from publishing or disseminating the allegations against the magistrate or any substantially similar claims.
The case arose from a family dispute concerning the estate of the late A.Y.A. Baatakana Ayazika, particularly land at Kasolo, Bwanalira Village in Iganga District.
Mrs Ayazika, the widow of the deceased, and Balondemu, who is Waidhuuba’s younger brother, accused the magistrate, who is the eldest son of the deceased, of forging powers of attorney and a will in an attempt to take unlawful control of his late father’s property.
The allegations also included claims that he had attempted to take control of his father’s bank account and had engaged in criminal conduct, abuse of office and professional misconduct.
According to court records, the allegations were communicated through letters to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (CID) before some of them were subsequently circulated online and through social media platforms.
Waidhuuba sued his mother and brother, arguing that the allegations were false, malicious and damaging to his reputation as a judicial officer.
The matter proceeded ex parte after the defendants failed to file a defence. The court subsequently entered a default judgment under Order 9 Rule 10 of the Civil Procedure Rules.
During the proceedings, Waidhuuba produced several exhibits in support of his claim.
Among them was a Daily Monitor Online article dated July 16, 2024, tendered in evidence as PEX9, under the headline: “Magistrate accused by mother of forging will”.
The article reported allegations that the magistrate had forged his late father’s will.
According to the evidence before court, the allegations were subsequently picked up and circulated on several social media platforms, and attracted lots of comments questioning Waidhuuba’s suitability and fitness to serve as a judicial officer.
Another exhibit, PEX6, contained WhatsApp messages posted in the “Abaluuta Twezuule” group, in which statements were made demanding that Waidhuuba refund money allegedly belonging to his late father.
Court also considered a video clip in which Waidhuuba was ridiculed at a police station.
The evidence showed that the allegations and publications continued despite attempts by members of the family and clan to mediate the dispute.
In determining the case, Justice Bushara found that the statements, letters and publications made and disseminated by the defendants concerning Waidhuuba were false and defamatory.
The judge consequently awarded him Shs20 million in general damages.
“The said general damages shall attract interest at 6% court rate from the date of this judgment until payment in full,” Justice Bushara ruled.
The court further issued a permanent injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, servants or persons acting through or under them from further publishing or disseminating the defamatory allegations complained of in the suit, or any substantially similar allegations concerning Waidhuuba.
The defendants were also ordered to issue a written retraction and apology to Waidhuuba through the same channels used to disseminate the allegations.
“So far as reasonably practicable, communicate the same through the channels used to disseminate the defamatory publications,” the judge ordered.
Justice Bushara further awarded Waidhuuba the costs of the suit, directing that the costs be borne by the defendants jointly and severally.
