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Uganda Judgment

High Court of Uganda

Haji Hassan Sentamu v Twaha Luyombya & Ors (Civil Appeal No. 79 of 2001) (Civil Appeal No. 79 of 2001) [2004] UGHC 48 (5 October 2004)

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01

Holding and result

The appellate court found that the trial magistrate had adequately scrutinized the evidence and correctly concluded that the plaintiffs failed to prove their claims of defamation, false imprisonment, and assault on the balance of probabilities. The court noted the absence of independent eyewitness testimony to corroborate the alleged assault and found that hearsay evidence presented by the plaintiff was insufficient. The arrest of the plaintiffs was attributed to actions taken in good faith by the deceased first defendant and police intervention was justified by public interest concerns arising from religious conflict. The court held that there was no proof of false imprisonment or defamation and dismissed the appeal, affirming the trial court's decision.

Court disposition

appeal dismissed

Orders

  • The appeal is dismissed with costs to the respondents.

02

Material facts

Parties

Haji Hassan Sentamu

Appellant Counsel: Nsubuga Mubiru

Twaha Luyombya

Respondent Counsel: Yasin Nyanzi

Sheikh Kasim (Kisitu)

Respondent Counsel: Yasin Nyanzi

03

Procedural history

  1. Posture

    Civil Appeal / Judgment

04

Questions and positions

Legal issues

Party arguments

Applicant
Counsel for the appellant argued that the trial magistrate failed to consider the evidence adduced by the first plaintiff, particularly regarding the alleged assault by the second defendant. It was submitted that the magistrate drew wrong inferences from the evidence and did not properly scrutinize the testimonies, leading to a miscarriage of justice. The appellant also contended that the dismissal of claims against the second defendant was erroneous given the evidence presented.
Respondent
Counsel for the respondent maintained that the allegations of assault, false imprisonment, and defamation were not proved on the balance of probabilities. The respondent denied the alleged assault and argued that the arrest and police intervention were in the public interest due to religious conflict at the mosque. It was further submitted that the letter leading to the arrest was authored by the deceased first defendant, not the present respondent, and that no independent evidence supported the appellant's claims.

05

Court’s reasoning

  1. 01

    General principle of civil procedure

    A plaintiff is not obliged to testify personally; what is required is cogent evidence to prove the case on the balance of probabilities.

  2. 02

    Trevor Price and Another Vs Raymond Kelsall [1957] EA 752

    Where evidence has not been subjected to adequate scrutiny by the trial court, it is the duty of the appellate court to evaluate the evidence itself.

  3. 03

    General evidentiary rules

    Hearsay evidence has no evidentiary value in proving assault or other torts.

06

Ratio, limits and disposition

Ratio decidendi

The appellate court found that the trial magistrate had adequately scrutinized the evidence and correctly concluded that the plaintiffs failed to prove their claims of defamation, false imprisonment, and assault on the balance of probabilities. The court noted the absence of independent eyewitness testimony to corroborate the alleged assault and found that hearsay evidence presented by the plaintiff was insufficient. The arrest of the plaintiffs was attributed to actions taken in good faith by the deceased first defendant and police intervention was justified by public interest concerns arising from religious conflict. The court held that there was no proof of false imprisonment or defamation and dismissed the appeal, affirming the trial court's decision.

Obiter and limits

  • There is no law obliging a plaintiff to testify personally; a case may be proved by other cogent evidence.
  • Police intervention in religious disputes may be justified in the public interest to prevent crime, especially in contexts of prior violence.

Court disposition

appeal dismissed

  • The appeal is dismissed with costs to the respondents.

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High Court of Uganda

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High Court of Uganda

Judgment

[2004] UGHC 48

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\li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 IN THE HIGH COURT OF UGANDA AT KAMPALA \par }\pard\plain \s1\qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\keepn\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel0\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 \b\fs28\ul\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\fs24\ulnone\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 CIVIL APPEAL No. 79 OF 2001 \par }\pard\plain \qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 (ARISING CIVIL SUIT No. G. K. 68 OF 1994 MENGO)

\par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 {\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 \par HAJI HASSAN SENTAMU:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: APPELLANT \par }\pard\plain \s9\qc \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\keepn\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel8\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 \fs28\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\fs24\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 - VERSUS - \par }\pard\plain \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 TWAHA LUYOMBYA AND OTHERS ::::::::::: ::::::::::::: RESPONDENTS \par }{\b\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 BEFORE: }{\b\ul\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 HON. MR JUSTICE RUBBY AWERI OPIO \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 {\b\ul\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 J U D G M E N T}{\b\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 :- \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 {\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 This is an appeal against the decision of his Worship Mwebembezi Julius, Magistrate Grade I at Mengo, dated 7}{ \super\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380

th}{\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 December 2001, in which he dismissed the appellant\rquote s suit. The appellant with four others had filed civil suit against Mwalimu Twaha Luyombya as first defendant and Sheikh Kasim as second defendant for damages for defamation, false imprisonment and assault. \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 {\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 {\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 The facts which gave rise to the cause of action were that on or about the 10}{ \super\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 th}{\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 June 1992 the plaintiffs received a letter written by the first defendant alleging that he plaintiffs were creating a misunderstanding at Natete Town Mosque and copied to the second defendant, the Officer-in-Charge Natete Police Post, the Secretary Natete Town Mosque and the Chairman Natete Town Mosque. In that letter the first defendant wrongfully and with malice alleged that the plaintiffs were bad people who had caused a great misunderstanding among the Moslem communit y at Natete Town Mosque. On 28}{\super\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 th}{\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 June 1992 at 1.30p.m. when the plaintiffs went for prayers at

the mosque infront of the many worshippers who had gathered, the second defendant with great fury shouted at the plaintiffs to leave the mosque and never to pray there anymore. On leaving the mosque, the plaintiffs were arrested by the police and escorted to Natete Police Post at the instigation of the defendants who accused them of unknown offences. The plaintiffs were detained at the police post but were rele a sed on police bond to report the next day at 8.30a.m. After reporting they were escorted to Katwe Police Station where the Officer-in-Charge eventually released them after advising them not to fight anymore in the mosque, a thing which the plaintiffs den ied ever engaging in. \par \par On 29}{\super\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 th}{\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 June 1992 when the first plaintiff went to pray at the mosque at 7.20p.m. the second defendant again sent him away and actually pushed him off, vowing that he would be the Sheikh there and that the plaintiff would never pray there again. \par The defendants denied the above allegations contending that the disagreement between the parties were based on religious principles which had caused strained relationship between the two sides. \par \par After the commencement of hearing of the case the second, third and fifth plaintiffs never testified in court in proof of their respective cases. Only first and fourth

plaintiffs testified before court. The fourth plaintiff and first defendant died soon after their testimonies. The court ruled that th e plaintiff who had not testified had lost interest in their case and as for the dead defendant; the court ruled that the first plaintiff\rquote s cause of action did not survive the first defendant. \par \par At the end of the trial the learned Magistrate Grade I dismissed the plaintiffs\rquote claim with costs on the ground that it was not proved on the balance of probabilities. Hence this appeal which was based on two grounds namely: \par \par {\listtext\pard\plain\lang1033\langfe1033\langnp1033\langfenp1033\charrsid3624380 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 1)\tab}}\pard \qj \fi-465\li465\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar \jclisttab\tx465\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\ls1\adjustright\rin0\lin465\itap0\pararsid3624380 {\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 The learned Magistrate failed to carry out a proper evaluation of the evidence thus resultin g into drawing wrong inferences and occasioning a miscarriage of justice. \par {\listtext\pard\plain\lang1033\langfe1033\langnp1033\langfenp1033\charrsid3624380 \hich\af0\dbch\af0\loch\f0 2)\tab}The learned Magistrate erred in law and fact when despite clear evidence of the plaintiffs proceeded to dismiss the plaintiffs\rquote claims against the second defendant. \par }\pard \qj

\li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 {\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 \par \par Nsubuga Mubiru appeared for the appellant/plaintiff while Yasin Nyanzi appeared for the respondent/defendant. Both counsel filed written submissions in support of their respective positions. \par \par Before I discuss the merits of appeal I would like to correct one error which i s apparent on the record of proceedings. The record shows that second, third and fifth plaintiff never testified in court and the trial magistrate ruled that because they had not testified in court they had lost interest in the case and proceeded as if t h eir cases had been dismissed on the reason that they had abandoned their rights. With due respect, I do not agree with the learned trial magistrate. In the first place there is no law which obliges a plaintiff to testify personally in proof of his case.

What is required of the plaintiff is that there must be cogent evidence to prove his case on the balance of probabilities. So a plaintiff(s) can rest a case with or without personal testimonies. In the instant case the plaintiffs rested their case with

the testimonies of only two out three plaintiffs. That was proper. As a matter of fact when the plaintiffs closed their case with the testimonies of only two plaintiffs, the learned counsel for defence prayed that the case of other three plaintiffs who d id not testify be dismissed. M/S Tibulya a Magistrate Grade I (as she then was) overruled the application arguing that since it was a joint claim evidence adduced was to be considered at the judgment stage. With due respect to the learned magistrate, th at was the position of the law. \par \par I now turn to the merit of the appeal. \par \par It is clear from the grounds of appeal that this appeal raises the issue that the learned trial magistrate did not subject the evidence on record to adequate scrutiny. In }{\b\ul\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 Trevor Price and Another Vs Raymond Kelsall [1957] EA 752}{\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 the Defunct Court of Appeal for Eastern Africa observed inter alia that where it is apparent that the evidence has not been subjected to adequate scrutiny by the trial court before expressing a view it is open to an appellate court to find that the view of the trial court is ill founded and where wrong inferences have been drawn from the evidence, it is the duty of an appellate court to evaluate the evidence itself. \par On the first ground it was argued that the learned trial magistrate had

failed to consider the evidence adduced by the first plaintiff as recorded on page 6 line 9-11 of the proceedings where he stated as follows:- \par \par }\pard\plain \s18\qj \li720\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid3624380 \fs28\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\fs24\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 \'93\'85 .. I went to pray, Sheikh Kisitu came and pushed me and I fell on other people who w ere praying. He told me to go out. I went out on the verandah and tried to pray from there but he came and pushed me from there. I went home. He used force as he was annoyed. I fell on people who also pushed me. I got hurt \'85\'85..\'94 \par }\pard\plain \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 \par The surviving defenda nt denied ever pushing the plaintiff. He called DW2 Mpiima who testified that the defendant never pushed the plaintiff. The learned trial magistrate found that the allegation of assault had not been proved on the balance of probabilities. From the evid e nce on record I find it difficult to fault the learned trial magistrate. This incident was said to have taken place in a mosque where there were very many worshipers. There should have been many

eyewitnesses to the occasion. However none of them was br ought to testify in court. Instead the plaintiff produced a witness PW4 who never witnessed the occasion. \par That witness testified that it was the plaintiff who had told him that the defendants had assaulted him. That was therefore hearsay evidence which has no evidentiary value. In the absence of an independent evidence the learned trial magistrate was right to conclude that the plaintiff had failed to prove this case on the balance of probabilities. \par \par In regard to the second ground of appeal there was no evidence implicating DW1 Sheikh Kasim. The letter which the plaintiff produced in court as a basis for their arrest by the police was written by Mwalim Twaha Luyombya D1 who is now deceased. It was not written by Sheikh Kisitu D2. According to Sheikh

Kisitu DW1 and Mpiima DW2 the root cause of this dispute was because there was a religious conflict in their mosque between the traditional Moslems and the tablique Moslems. The two had fundamental differences in their religious practices. The tabliques

decided that their leader should wear half kanzus. Secondly they did not want Moslems to pray for the deceased nor hold congregation to celebrate the birth of Mohamed. They also advocated having long beards. The traditional Moslems on the other hand di d not approve of the above practices. The two sects started quarreling and there was a general confusion in the mosque. As that was going on a police constable who was passing by got wind of the confusion. At that time there was a violent wave of tabliq u e movement in Kampala, a remarkable one being the violence at Old Kampala Mosque. The police appeared to have been put on alert to pre-empt such violence. That was how police went to the scene to arrest the situation. The trial magistrate analyzed the a bove evidence and ruled that the arrest of the plaintiffs was not authored by the present defendant (Mr Kisitu), but by Twaha Luyombya. Even then the said Twaha did the same in good faith to avoid impending violence. The learned trial magistrate was als o alive to the fact that the police intervention was in public interest to prevent crime. He observed as follows: \par \par }\pard\plain \s18\qj \li720\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid3624380 \fs28\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\fs24\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 \'93 Irrespective of whoever summoned

the police, I think this was a great service to the plaintiffs themselves, the Moslem community and the res t of the public given the fact that there was a violent wave of tablique movement that had resulted in capture of various mosques and the remarkable violence at Old Kampala Mosque\'94. \par }\pard\plain \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 \par With the above analysis I find that the trial magistrate was right to find that there was no proof of false imprisonment and that the words complained of were not defamatory of the plaintiffs. \par In conclusion I find that the learned trial magistrate had subjected the evidence on record to adequate scrutiny before concluding that the plaintiffs had failed to prove the case on the balance of probabilities. Therefore the appeal has no merit. It is accordingly dismissed with costs. \par \par \par }{\b\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 RUBBY AWERI OPIO \par }\pard\plain \s2\qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\keepn\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel1\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 \b\fs28\ul\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\fs24\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 JUDGE \par }\pard\plain \qj

\li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 \par 5/10/2004. \par }{\ul\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 5/10/2004}{\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 :- \par Yasin Nyanzi present for respondent. \par M/S Nsege Judy for appellant. \par Both parties present. \par Judgment read in chambers as in open court. \par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 {\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 \par }\pard \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 {\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 \par }{\b\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 RUBBY AWERI OPIO \par }\pard\plain \s2\qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\keepn\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\outlinelevel1\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 \b\fs28\ul\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\fs24\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 JUDGE \par }\pard\plain \qj \li0\ri0\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\aspalpha\aspnum\faauto\adjustright\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid3624380 \fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380 5/10/2004.}{\insrsid3624380\charrsid3624380

\par }}

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Trevor Price and Another Vs Raymond Kelsall [1957] EA 752

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