Man attacks PS Bigirimana in WhatsApp group, runs to newspaper to apologise

A one Robert Haguma has apologised to the Pius Bigirimana, the secretary to the Judiciary, after he allegedly wrote some unsavoury things about him in a WhatsApp group, For God and My County.

In an unusual step Haguma placed the apology in a newspaper, New Vision. It is estimated that it cost him at least Shs 200,000.

In the apology, Haguma admits that he made "false" comments about Bigirimana, comments that were amplified by other members of the group.

Sources told us that Haguma's comments in the group brought into question Bigirimana's integrity and fitness to serve in a public office.

Bigirimana was made aware of the comments and instructed his lawyers to serve Haguma with a notice of intention to sue if he did not retract the comments in addition to making an apology.

"After carefully reading the notice of intention to sue, I found out that the contents in the post were not true," Haguma wrote in the apology.

"I therefore tender in my sincere apology to the person of Mr Pius Bigirimana and retract the said post/comment. All inconveniences caused are highly regretted."

Haguma's apology over a matter expressed on a social media platform could be the first by a private citizen to a public official.

Yet given the fact that Bigirimana has perfected the art of jealously guarding his public image, the apology should not come as a surprise.

Bigirimana has a penchant for defamation suits and some news organisations have felt his pangs.

In December 2021, the High Court ordered Monitor Publications to pay Bigirimana Shs 450m as general and exemplary damages for defaming him with 15 stories between 2012 and 2015 when he served as Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister.