A Ugandan man, Herbert Baitwababo who paid membership fee of Sh 30,000 to join a Whatsapp group has filed a lawsuit after he was removed from the group.
After being removed from the Whatsapp group, the man approached a court where he disclosed that the ‘Buyanja My Roots’ WhatsApp group, dedicated to their Buyanja sub-county in Rukungiri district, was established for the purpose of contributing to charitable causes, expressing condolences, and providing support to individuals within the area.
In the affidavit filed before the court, Baitwababo said;
“As members of the said WhatsApp group, we developed an idea of starting an association and agreed that one had to pay Sh.30,000 only to subscribe for the membership and as such, I fully registered,” read part of Mr Baitwababo’s affidavit.
“All communication and matters concerning the association were conveyed through the WhatsApp group.”
He said his issue with the group admin, Allan Asinguza, began after he asked for an audit report and financial accountability for the funds collected since the group’s establishment in 2017.
Following his removal from the WhatsApp group on May 17, 2023, the administrator’s action compelled Baitwababo to seek legal recourse.
Ruling on the case, the court ordered the group administrator to reinstate Baitwababo. It also issued an injunction prohibiting any future expulsion of Baitwababo from the ‘Buyanja My Roots’ WhatsApp group.
The court held that such an act would infringe upon Baitwababo’s right and freedom of association.
