Legislators on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee have put the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Mariam Wangadya on the spot, over the manner in which complaints on human rights violations from the public have been handled.
MPs accused Wangadya of making unilateral decisions on cases brought before the Commission, without involving the opinions of other Commission members.
Appearing before the Committee on Thursday, 23 July 2026, Wangadya said many of the cases she was alleged to have dismissed prematurely, were often submitted by individuals she termed as ‘hardcore criminals.
“Imagine a man who defiles his six-year-old niece, pleads guilty in court and gets a 10-year prison sentence; and then files a case against police saying he was detained for over 48 hours before being taken to court, and therefore his right to personal liberty was violated. What message would we be sending to victims of crime by entertaining such a case?” Wangadya said.
She noted that some cases were closed without going through a full hearing because they intended to divert the course of justice.
“There are people who file complaints at UHRC to minimise or escape culpability for their crimes. Once the evidence against them proves insurmountable, they bring to us cases of torture and several of them have walked scot-free on these grounds,” said Wangadya.
“I will continue to resist turning the Commission into a centre for sanitisation of criminals. We have also received many torture cases which are backed up by clearly forged medical reports. We cannot entertain such cases otherwise it would be institutional bias against the state,” she added.
Hon. George Musisi (NUP, Kira Municipality), however, challenged Wangadya for being biased in institutional decisions, noting that the law allows for individuals to go through due process.
“The Commission is not vested with powers of conviction; its mandate is about human rights violations. The Prohibition and Prevention of Torture Act and the Constitution do not in any way say that a hardcore criminal can be tortured or have their rights violated,” Musisi noted.
Lugazi Municipality MP, Hon. Richard Senteza, questioned Wangadya on the dispensation of case files brought before the Commission.
“You explained that the many files that were closed went through the proper procedure. Is there documentary evidence that the Commission sat and dispensed these files, because we heard from some of your commissioners that these files were dismissed unceremoniously,” Senteza asked.
Hon. Anna Adeke (FDC, Soroti District Woman Representative) cited cases that were closed by UHRC, which she said did not conform to the standards of hearing cases by the Commission.
“It almost looks like you did it unilaterally. Aren’t you supposed to execute the mandate of hearing matters jointly with all the commissioners? The public is concerned with your partiality and how you have executed your task in the field of protection and observance of human rights,” Adeke said.
Hon. Elias Nalukoola (NUP, Kawempe Division North) and Hon. Patrick Kitiyo (Indep., Kapchorwa Municipality) challenged the Chairperson on her authority to lead the UHRC, citing her July letter to the President on her intention to resign from the post.
Several MPs including Oyam County North MP, Hon. Otuko Eunice and Kigulu County North MP, Hon. Samuel Kungu, tasked Wangadya on claims by a section of commissioners at the UHRC that she excluded them in decision making.
Wangadya told MPs that her calls for dialogue with the discontented commissioners had failed to yield positive results.
“I have tried it more than once but I do not see any indication that the commissioners who accused me are willing to have dialogue. I hope that they will be forthcoming,” she said.
She also clarified that the complainants she alluded to as ‘hardcore criminals’ are those currently serving sentences in prisons across the country.
“Many of the convicts we visited in the prisons we inspected in the West Nile region, had predominantly committed the crime of defilement. Some of their victims are toddlers. As a mother, when I think about that, my heart trembles,” Wangadya said.
In her letter of notice of resignation, Wangadya said the letter was written in confidence to the President but was, however, leaked to the public. She called on the Committee to take the guidance of the Attorney General who told a House sitting on Wednesday, 15 July 20206, that she remains the substantive chairperson.
The committee chairperson, Hon. John Teira, directed the Commission Chairperson to respond to all issues raised by MPs, in writing, and present them on an appointed date-Ug. Parliament. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
