Daily Monitor apologizes to Mpuuga over defamatory story on MPs Ssegirinya, Ssewanyana release

KAMPALA, UGANDA: Nation Media Group owned newspaper; Daily Monitor has apologised to the Leader of Opposition in Parliament Hon. Mathias Mpuuga after publishing a defamatory story last week regarding the release of MPs Allan Ssewanyana (Makindye West) and Muhammad Ssegirinya (Kawempe North).

The story appeared in a Daily Monitor Newspaper dated February 14th titled “How MPs got Freedom”; alleged that Mpuuga, a top leader of the opposition National Unity Platform struck a high level deal with the ruling government to see the two legislator’s finally secure freedom after nearly two years.

However, in the aftermath of the story going viral both in print and digital, Mr Mpuuga through his lawyers Lukwago and Com Advocates, issued an intention to sue notice to Monitor Publications Limited accusing the newspaper of tarnishing his name and labelling him as an incompetent leader with fabricated stories against him.

With a notice served of seven days to retract the story and apologize to him or face legal consequences, including a shs200m amount in costs for the damages caused.

“TAKE NOTICE THAT, by reason of the said defamatory publication, our client who has at all material times been a highly respected person, whose record in public service is beyond reproach, has been greatly injured in his credit, reputation and generally subjected to untold psychological torture,” the notice read in part.

Now in its daily bulletin dated Monday, February 20, 2023, Daily Monitor has issued a clarification and an apology to the Masaka-Nyendo Mukungwe MP, and conceded that the details in the story earlier published were inaccurate and ill-informed.

Further, the newspaper also corrected that the meetings that Mr Mpuuga attended were open and public meetings held in the offices of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker together with other Opposition Members of Parliament for the release of all arrested, abducted and detained NUP supporters.

“On February 15, 2023, we published a story indicating that the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mr Mathias Mpuuga, held secret and deal making talks with government officials, leading to the release of MPs Allan Ssewanyana and Muhammad Ssegirinya. We have since established that no such meetings or talks were held,” Monitor’s apology reads in part

“We hereby retract all the inaccuracies in that story and unreservedly apologise to Mr Mpuuga for any inconveniences and damage this misrepresentation might have caused him.”

Additionally, the Editor Monitor Publications says the publication endeavours to get everything it publishes correct.

“When mistakes are made, we want to know, and a correction will be published as soon as possible. Please notify us of any needed correction at corrections@nationmedia.com, or by writing to the Editor, Plot 29-36, 8th Street Industrial Area, Namuwongo, P.O. Box 12141, Kampala-Uganda, or by calling the News Editor at 0312301100. Thank you.”

Below is the full apology from Monitor to Hon. Mathias Mpuuga