WhatsApp group admin sued for Removing member without consent; Court orders his return to group

According to reports, Herbert Baitwababo, a guy from Uganda, exhaled a sigh of relief after a court authorized his reinstatement to a WhatsApp group. This came about when the WhatsApp admin kicked him out of the group for raising concerns about how the group's finances were managed.

After he got into conflict with the group admin because he questioned how the money earned in the group was being used, the court issued an order for his readmission to the WhatsApp group.

His removal from the WhatsApp group, according to the court, violated his right to freedom of association.

The WhatsApp administrator was thus required to add him again by the Ugandan court.

When Herbert was kicked off the online forum, the WhatsApp administrator was sued.

Herbert Baitwababo, a furious Ugandan, filed a lawsuit against the administrators of the WhatsApp group "Buyanja My Roots" for kicking him out when he voiced concerns about the audit.

According to a report from livenowafrica, the case was heard in Kampala.

According to the report, Herbert was ordered to be reinstated by Mr. Igga Adiru, the acting Senior Grade One Magistrate at Makindye Magistrate's Court.

The WhatsApp group's administrator, Allan Asinguza, was ordered by the court to re-add Mr. Herbert Baitwababo as a member.

A permanent injunction was also included in the judgment, forbidding the respondent and his representatives from interfering with the applicant's right to association.

According to Mr. Baitwababo's application, Mr. Asinguza first started the WhatsApp group for residents of the Buyanja Sub-county with the intention of encouraging them to donate to charitable causes and offer sympathy and assistance to disaster victims.

As a result of the group's decision to form an association, Mr. Baitwababo was required to pay a subscription fee of Shs30,000 in order to join.

The WhatsApp group served as the primary channel for all association-related communication and business.

However, Mr. Baitwababo wrote to Mr. Asinguza on May 16, 2023, demanding information on the group's management, an audit report, and accountability for the funds raised since it was founded in 2017.

Mr. Asinguza dismissed Mr. Baitwababo from the WhatsApp group on May 17 in response to the letter, disobeying his right to association and resulting in unfair enrichment. Mr. Baitwababo sought the court to order Mr. Asinguza to permanently restore him in the group and to stop additional expulsions in order to seek protection and justice.

The court's decision attempts to redress the wrongs done to Mr. Baitwababo, ensuring that his right to association is upheld and protected.