The Uganda High Court Deputy Head of Civil Division, Lady Justice Henrietta Wolayo has awarded Dr. Stella Nyanzi over 50 million shillings for the violation of freedom to travel in 2017.
On March 19, 2017, Nyanzi was intercepted by detectives at Entebbe Airport as she was heading to Netherlands to attend a scholarly conference. Her name would later be added to a “no fly list” following her Facebook posts that the president’s lawyers said were aimed at attacking the person of President Yoweri Museveni and first lady, Janet Museveni who is also the minister of Education and Sports.
In July, 2017 Nyanzi filed a suit through her lawyers, Center for Legal Aid, challenging the government actions against her. She asked that government compensates her for all her expenses that included a return plane ticket, Schengen VISA costs, injury caused to her and her name to be removed from the no fly list.
On Monday, Justice Wolayo in her judgment ordered that Nyanzi be paid 50 million shillings in damages and violation of Nyanzi’s rights and dignity and also ordered for a restraining order against government from blocking the former Makerere University researcher.
Nyanzi who is still in jail for her case on cyber harassment against President Museveni will appear in the High Court on 19 December to hear judgment about her appeal on the same.
