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	Catholics Drag Airtel to Court over Billboard By Andante Okanya New Vision May 22, 2011 http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/755420 TWO Christians, Albert Kakooza and Robert Mujuzzi, have sued Airtel over a "slanderous billboard" with the words 'Airtel: Clearer than the Rubaga Bell'. The billboard had been placed on Rubaga Road towards Rubaga Cathedral. The cathedral has two famous bell towers fixed with a series of momentous bells, which are traditionally referred to as the Rubaga Bells. The billboard in question has since been removed. Airtel pulled it down on February 10 after the duo's lawyers from Kavuma Kabenge and Company Advocates petitioned the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). The suit was filed on Friday at the High Court in Kampala under article 50 of the Constitution. The article empowers courts of law to enforce rights and freedoms. The two claim Catholics were insulted by the "wrongful commissioning of the sacrilegious and offensive message" emitted through the billboard. They want court to declare that Airtel "intentionally or negligently" inflicted mental anguish and wounded religious beliefs of Catholics. "The observations, investigations and consultations carried out by the plaintiffs established that the disputed message was not extremely inflammatory, undoubtedly sacrilegious and inescapably offensive to the religious rights," they said. The duo also claims that the billboard was illegal and unconstitutional. They are demanding compensation in punitive damages and costs of the suit. They want court to permanently restrain Airtel and its agents from further commissioning the creation and emission of the disputed message or any other sacrilegious, offensive or similar messages concerning Roman Catholicism in Uganda. The duo contend that between November 1 last year and February 10 this year, the billboard was "conspicuously placed" in display of worshippers, tourists and commuters". The billboard was crafted by two public relations and advertising consultants Moringa Limited and Image Crusade Advertising and Public Relations Limited. The duo said they filed the suit after Airtel's deliberate refusal to "acknowledge its wrongdoing and atone by way of apology and compensation". They contend that Airtel removed the billboard five days after the expiry of UCC's order. They claim Airtel would not be blamed if it had commissioned a billboard with the words 'Airtel: Clearer than a Bell'. According to an affidavit in support of the suit, the two contend that Rubaga is home to many iconic landmarks of "Roman Catholic pilgrimage". They said it is the ancient seat of a prominent Roman Catholic Mission and Cathedral, which was visited and consecrated in 1969 by Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II in 1993. They further contend that Uganda's 14 million Roman Catholics regard Rubaga Hill, Rubaga Cathedral and its bells as "sacred and inimitable". They state that the picture of the two gigantic, rusty bells was meant to depict that Airtel had triumphed over Rubaga Cathedral and its revered Church Bells, and to incite hatred of Roman Catholicism. Court is yet to summon Airtel to defend itself.
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