Museveni case against Daily Monitor: President attaches ‘negative’ Facebook comments as part of evidence

President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni is using comments on some social media sites like Facebook to prove that Daily Monitor‘s story on him and his inner circle secretly taking Chinese Covid19 vaccine.

The story was first carried by American newspaper Wall Street Journal. But Museveni chose to sue Daily Monitor.

But health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng dismissed the reports as false.

He made his threats to sue the publication in at least two addresses: During Women’s Day (March 08) and in his March 14 televised addressed.

By the time of these addresses, Museveni had written to Daily Monitor expressing his intention to sue in a February 24 letter.

Now, Museveni has finally sued Daily Monitor demanding that court directs the publication to pull down the said article online and publish an apology to him on all its platforms with the same prominence as the offending article and posts and with wordings agreed to by him in advance.

The president has also sought court orders issuing a permanent injunction restraining Monitor Publications and their servants from publishing the defamatory words against him.

The head of state also wants presiding High Court judge Musa Sekaana to direct Monitor to pay compensation, general and exemplary damages, as well as costs of the suit with interest.

In his suit, Museveni, through his lawyers of K and K Advocates, notes that on February 23, 2021, Monitor Publications Limited “falsely and maliciously caused to be written, printed and published an article titled ‘Museveni ‘inner circle’ secretly given Covid jabs – US paper.’

That the publication went ahead and widely circulated the same story on social media to reach millions of readers across the world.

He accuses Daily Monitor of dishonesty since Ministry of Health spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyoona and senior presidential press secretary Don Wanyama had told the publication’s reporters that the story by Wall Street Journal was false but the Kampala-based daily went ahead and published it it with prominence.

He says this article defamed him among right thinking members of society who interpreted it to mean he was dishonest, a schemer and conspirator who has engaged himself in dishonest activities of influence peddling and nepotism, and one who had abused the office of the president.

Museveni says his five-decade long dedication to Uganda’s and Africa’s liberation and emancipation had earned him global recognition, and that the story sought to damage this reputation.

“The plaintiff is a dishonest person who has used his position as President of the Republic of Uganda to secretly enable himself and people close to him to be vaccinated with the Covid19 vaccine, months ahead of health workers and other vulnerable groups,” Museveni argues.

“It were understood to mean that the plaintiff has abdicated his duties and obligations to frontline health workers fighting COVID-19 and other groups that are vulnerable to the pandemic. The plaintiff cannot be trusted with the high office of the President of the Republic of Uganda.”

To prove how damaging the article was to his reputation, Museveni included social media comments on the story. Here ares some of the comments that caught the president’s legal team’s attention:

“See his eyes, the medicine is stronger than him.” Ben Kyeyo Rugaba

“Will the vaccine make him younger?” Christine Yeko