The High Court in Kampala, Uganda made a novel ruling that affirmed the legal validity of contracts executed through WhatsApp. Judge Patricia Kahigi Asiimwe of the Commercial Division ruled that under the Electronic Transactions Act, the definition of a data message is something that has to be stored by a computer. And then went ahead and declared that WhatsApp messages are considered legally binding agreements under section 3 of the Contracts Act, as they qualify as data messages created, transmitted, received, or stored through computer systems. This precedent-setting decision emerged from a case filed by Dr. Rodney Mugarura against Paramount Hospital Kampala Limited and its Director, Dr. Simon Begumisa. Dr Mugarura…
