Ex-minister sues Kintu Nyago over defamation

The senior presidential adviser on information and communications technology (ICT) and former minister, Dr Ham Mukasa Mulira, has sued the former ambassador to Pretoria, South Africa, Mr Kintu Nyago over alleged defamation.

In the lawsuit filed on January 19 before the High Court, Civil Division in Kampala, Dr Mulira alleges that Mr Kintu made false, malicious, libellous and defamatory statements against him that were published in one of the local newspapers.

“In these statements, the defendant publically accused the plaintiff (Dr Mulira) of intimidation, forgery of court documents, bribery of judicial officers and using his office to grab land,” the suit reads in part.
Dr Mulira says the claims made against him are false and malicious and that they have tainted his name among the “right-thinking members of the society”.

“The said statements by the defendant (Mr Kintu) are not only defamatory of the plaintiff but they tarnish the image, reputation, integrity and independence of the judicial officers concerned and the Judiciary in Uganda,” Dr Mulira contends.

Court documents show that Dr Mulira, Sarah Mulira and George Kassadde Mukasa, as administrators of the estate of their late father Eridad Medard Kasirye Mulira, instituted a law suit against ambassador Kintu for alleged encroachment, illegal occupation and trespass.

The land in question is comprised in Block 260 Plot 21 which became Plot 35 and later Plot 143 at Ziranumbu, Wakiso District.

Further, the court documents show that the Land Division of the High Court entered a judgment and a decree in favour of the Mulira family.

The ruling of the court was to effect that Mr Kintu was not the kibanja holder on the said suit land and that all the sales or transfers of the land by them to third parties, is null and void.

“Ambassador Kintu Nyago, the defendant, is one of the illegal occupants, encroachers and trespassers on the suit land who is covered and affected by the said judgment,” Dr Mulira avers in the lawsuit. 

Dr Mulira states in his suit: “The process of execution of the said judgment and decree in the said …(suit matter) was completed on 16 November 2022 and the defendants and illegal occupants, encroachers and trespassers on the suit land including the defendant (Mr Kintu) in this suit, have been evicted from the said land.”

Dr Mulira further states that his siblings George Kassadde Mukasa, and Sarah Mulira, the administrators of the estate of the late Eridad Medard Kasirye Mulira died in January 2018 and June 2021 respectively and that Peter Mulira and himself are now the current administrators of the estate of their late father.

Through his lawyers of Wante & Company Advocates, Dr Mulira claims the alleged defamatory words have caused him grave embarrassment and great injury to his reputation to which he wants damages amounting to over Shs500m.

By press time last evening, ambassador Kintu had not responded to the accusation.