Happy Science Uganda, which has close links to the Universal Happy Science religion, has been sued by bus hire service operator African Secrets Limited, demanding 121 million shillings in debt owed during this year’s lecture in Kampala.
The lecture was held on June 23 at Namboole stadium.
Happy Science Uganda was sued before the Commercial Court in Kampala on July 19.
In their complaint, the bus company claims to have entered into an agreement with Happy Science to transport 11,658 people, using their 174 buses.
According to court records, the buses picked the worshippers from the Eastern part of the country to and from Namboole for purposes of attending the first ever lecture in Uganda by Ryuho Okawa, the spiritual founder of Happy Science from China.
Through Candia Advocates and Legal Consultants, the bus company contends that in the agreement dated June 7, 2012, Happy Science agreed to pay 382 million shillings to transport the worshippers.
In an affidavit the company’s managing director, Adrian Ssali, contends that a 260 million shillings down payment was made on execution of the agreement and that the remaining 121 million was to be paid within the next seven days.
But Ssali asserts that Happy Science has deliberately declined to pay the outstanding debt, and that all attempts to compel them to do so have been futile.
In addition to the outstanding money, African Secrets wants an annual 25 percent interest from the date of the purported breach of contract until full payment. The company also wants to be awarded costs of the suit.
On June 23, Ryuho delivered his first ever lecture at Namboole stadium making it the first ever Happy Science lecture in Africa.Thousands of people thronged Namboole stadium to hear his message.
According to Ryuho, in order for one to find happiness in life, one must practice the principles of happiness known as "the four-fold path” that include; love, wisdom, self-reflection and progress.
Commercial Court registrar Margaret Tibulya has subsequently ordered Happy Science Uganda to defend itself within 10 days from the date it receives the summons.
The case file has been allocated to Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire though a hearing date has not yet been fixed.
