Man wants Museveni to pay him Shs 300 million over alleged image rights infringement

Micheal Obwana, a city tour guide, wants President Museveni, who is also the chairman of National Resistance Movement (NRM), to pay him Shs 300 million for alleged infringement of privacy and image rights.

Through his lawyers Ark advocates, Obwana states that between  November 2020 up to date, Museveni or the NRM unlawfully put out massive banners with his image without his prior consent.

He notes that his image was used to promote and market political campaigns in several places bearing the NRM logo.

He says the marketing and political billboard were ostensibly meant to mobilise all youth and elders from several parts of Uganda to vote for NRM.

He adds that the billboards and posters were mounted in strategic locations and places in Kampala and other districts of Uganda including but not limited to Matugga, Namirembe road and Bweyogerere for the general public to view and share.

Subsequently, Museveni held a successful campaign that saw NRM win the recently concluded presidential elections.

According to the notice, the advert captured Obwana's image on all Museveni's platforms and portrayed him as his agent or brand ambassador who endorsed a business deal with the president to market, promote and campaign for NRM which was not the case.

"This intimated to the public that believed our client received monumental sums of money whereas not,"reads the notice.

According to the notice, there was breach of constitutional right to privacy, misrepresentation, false endorsement, breach of confidence, unjust enrichment for which Obwana's image was used in the manner prejudicial to his reputation in the eyes of his family, business partners among others.

Obwana now wants Shs 300 million in damages.

"We hereby do within seven days from the date of receipt of the notice and in addition pay legal costs so far incurred to the tune of of 80,000,000. If you don't heed to the notice, we shall institute legal proceedings against National Resistance Movement for privacy and image rights infringement at your cost and peril,"the notice further reads.

Additional reporting my Muhamadi Matovu