MK Publishers to Pay Author Shs 100m for Selling Children’s Stories to Rwanda without Permission

Uganda’s High Court has ordered MK Publishers Ltd to pay Shs 100 million ($26,000) in damages and royalties to author Annette Najjemba after finding the firm guilty of infringing her copyright by selling her children’s stories to the Government of Rwanda without permission.

Justice Patience T.E. Rubagumya of the Commercial Division ruled that Najjemba’s literary works, compiled in a manuscript titled “Our Folktales,” were altered and reproduced as part of MK Audio Stories for Rwandan primary schools, with the publisher claiming authorship.

“The Defendant infringed on the Plaintiff’s copyright when it altered, reproduced and sold her work as audio series without authorization or licence,” the judge said in her Oct. 2 ruling, delivered electronically via Uganda’s court e-filing system.

Stories Sold Without Consent

Najjemba, a Ugandan author and teacher, had submitted an abridged version of her manuscript to MK Publishers in 2012 for potential publication. 

She later discovered the company had modified four of her stories — Mukoijo the Glutton, The Cruel Step Mother, Muvubi and His Fish Friends, and Kaleku and the Enormous Beast — to suit Rwandan culture and sold them to Rwanda’s Ministry of Education.

Compact discs of the MK Audio Stories, branded with both MK Publishers’ and Rwandan government logos, were distributed in schools without her consent or credit.

During cross-examination, MK’s editor-in-chief Sam Serwanga admitted Najjemba’s stories were adapted and that she was not acknowledged as the author.

Publisher’s Defence Rejected

The company argued Najjemba had given “implied consent” and that 10% royalties were available for payment. 

Justice Rubagumya rejected that argument, citing Uganda’s Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act, which requires any license or transfer of rights to be in writing and signed by the author.

“The Defendant had no valid written licence, assignment or transfer authorizing it to alter, adapt and reproduce her literary work,” the court said.

The ruling strengthens protections for intellectual property rights in Uganda’s publishing industry, where disputes over adaptation and authorship are growing amid regional education reforms.

The case also sets a precedent for cross-border copyright enforcement and signals that publishers must secure written consent before commercializing creative works.

Damages and Injunction

The court ordered MK Publishers to pay Najjemba 30% royalty fees from profits earned on the Rwandan deal, with 24% annual interest from the date of infringement until payment in full.

It also awarded her Shs 70 million in general damages and Shs 30 million in exemplary damages, both accruing 6% interest from the date of judgment.

A permanent injunction was issued barring MK Publishers, its agents, and employees from further using or distributing Najjemba’s work “Our Folktales.”

 The court declined to order destruction of the infringing copies, noting that rights had already been transferred to the Rwandan government