THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
IN THE HIGH COURT OF UGANDA, AT KAMPALA
CIVIL SUIT NO. 86 OF 1996
1. DAVID ETUKET)
2. JANE ETUKET )………………………………………. PLAINTIFFS
VS
THE NEW VISION PRINTING AND PUBLISHING CORPORATION…………………………………………….DEFENDANT
BEFORE: THE HON. MR. JUSTICE V. F. MUSOKE—KIBUUKA
JUDGMENT
The two plaintiffs are husband and wife. They filed this action against the defendant alleging defamation. They sought from this court orders enabling them to recover, in the case of the first plaintiff, special, general and punitive or exemplary damages, and, in the case of the second plaintiff, general and punitive or exemplary damages.
The background to the institution of this suit is quite short but rather unusual.
The first plaintiff is a high ranking Foreign Service officer employed in the Public Service of the Republic of Uganda. He holds the rank of Counsellor. He and his wife were posted in New York at Uganda’s Permanent Mission at the United Nations between 1986 and 1994, where he served in various capacities and at different ranks. He also came into close contact with the highest dignatories within the diplomatic corps not only of the United Nations Organization but internationally. He was a member of various Uganda delegations to different international conferences in many parts of the world. At the United Nations Organization in New York, he was Chairman of the General Assembly’s Committee on Contributions. His wife, while in New York, was employed by the Permanent mission of the republic of Botswana to the United Nations for three years. Exhibit P.11.
The couple who had returned to Uganda, owned and were using motor vehicle Toyota camry, Registration No.UPS 942.The registration card is Exhibit P2.
On Friday,18th August,1995 the headline of the New vision Newspaper read,
