the recipient claim non-receipt. Learned plaintiff’s counsel submitted that
exhibit D2 (ii) which the Defendant relies on as prove of notice of the terms of
carriage to the Plaintiff does not show the sender, recipient, date of sending or
even the time. On the other hand exhibit D2 (i) which is another email sent to
the Plaintiff clearly shows the sender, recipient, date of sending or even the
time. Counsel asked the court to reject the explanation afforded by DW1 that
the emails were archived and that is why they do not show the sender,
recipient, date or time as a complete falsehood. He contended that there is no
evidence of the witness' expertise in interpreting electronic documents or their
meta mathematics.
Counsel contended that the Defendant who wishes this court to find that he
gave the Plaintiff notice of the terms and conditions of service by email has
failed to discharge the burden of proving that the email communication was
sent to, leave alone received by the Plaintiff. The defendant did not exercise
diligence of a common carrier.
Counsel further submitted that instructions and/or contractual obligations/
engagement give rise to an obligation to take reasonable care. (Halsbury's
Laws of England 3rd Edition Vol. 4 p. 137). Counsel referred to the testimony of
DW1 on the loss of cargo, the email from Nakiyingi Rebecca and employee of
the Defendant informing the plaintiff of the loss and the agreed facts
establishing the loss of cargo en route to Mombasa. He contended that DW1
did not know where Nakiyingi got the information contained in her email
Exhibit 02 (i) but believes investigations were carried out but did not know
what happened. In re- examination he testified that the goods were stolen in
the custody of the third party, the carrier and that the third party would be in
the best position to explain what happened.
In this respect TPW1 testified that the cargo was not delivered to Mombasa as
agreed because the vehicle was attacked by some people who put the
occupants at gun point in another small car and drove off and the truck was
driven off by a third party. In cross examination by counsel for the Plaintiff he
testified that Exh 05 is dated 13th April 2010 about seven (7) days after the
loss of the cargo and long before the police report was issued and that he was
not at the scene and was just told about what transpired and the police report
which was presented does not have the details of what happened at the scene.
Counsel attacked the testimony of DW1 and TPW1 as to what happened to the
goods in question as inadmissible hearsay evidence. He contended that the
defendant did not adduce any evidence as to whether it exercised any
8