Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Chairperson Mariam Fauzat Wangadya broke down in tears on Thursday as she appeared before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), saying months of what she described as a coordinated campaign against her had left her emotionally drained and unable to effectively lead the constitutional body.
Wangadya had been summoned to explain her absence from Wednesday’s committee sitting, where legislators were scrutinising the commission’s management following findings in the 2025 Auditor General’s report.
The committee, chaired by Muwada Nkunyingi, is also investigating allegations that more than 200 human rights complaints were closed without due process, that the commission has not convened formal meetings since March 2026, and broader concerns about governance and administration within the institution.
Opening her submission, Wangadya apologised for comments she recently made in public, admitting they fell short of the standards expected of her office.
She attributed the remarks to the intense pressure she has faced over the past several months.
“I begin with an apology,” Wangadya told the committee, saying her recent statements were “beneath my character.”
She dismissed reports suggesting she had gone into hiding, fled the country or was under investigation, insisting she had instead spent the last five months responding to allegations she considers false.
According to Wangadya, the ongoing disputes have prevented her from carrying out the commission’s constitutional mandate.
She said that instead of supervising investigations, engaging refugees, constituting tribunal panels and addressing pressing human rights concerns, she has been forced to defend herself against repeated accusations in the media and before various institutions.
The UHRC chairperson further revealed that she had been summoned by three parliamentary committees within two days, yet none of the invitations related to the country’s human rights situation.
Instead, she said, they focused on allegations against her personally.
Wangadya accused three fellow commissioners of abandoning their constitutional responsibilities in favour of a sustained campaign to undermine her leadership.
She alleged that Commissioners Stephen Basaliza, Simeon Nsubuga and Jacqueline Atuhaire had conspired to damage her reputation by orchestrating media attacks and filing what she termed baseless complaints with investigative agencies.
She also claimed that commission meetings had increasingly become forums for personal attacks rather than discussions on the institution’s work.
As she recounted the emotional strain the conflict had placed on her and her family, Wangadya broke down in tears.
She told MPs that reaching the point of drafting a resignation letter reflected the depth of her distress.
“By the time a woman in my situation picks up a pen and writes a resignation letter, she must be in unimaginable agony,” she said before pausing to regain her composure.
Wangadya later apologised on behalf of the commission to President Yoweri Museveni, Parliament and the Ugandan public, acknowledging that the institution had fallen short of expectations amid the internal wrangles.
Responding to allegations that she had sidelined commissioners from the commission’s work, Wangadya rejected the accusations and instead faulted some commissioners for failing to attend tribunal sessions despite receiving facilitation allowances.
She alleged that repeated absenteeism had, on several occasions, denied the tribunal a quorum, potentially exposing its decisions to legal challenge.
She further claimed that Commissioner Jacqueline Atuhaire had cancelled tribunal sessions on at least two occasions after receiving allowances for herself, her driver and bodyguard.
Wangadya also defended the commission’s decision to close more than 200 human rights complaints, saying the files were dismissed collectively by commissioners sitting as a tribunal rather than through unilateral action by the chairperson.
She explained that complaints are legally dismissed where they fall outside the statutory five-year limitation period, fail to establish a valid cause of action or do not disclose a human rights violation.
She argued that courts routinely reject cases that do not meet legal requirements and said the commission follows similar legal standards.
Wangadya added that the UHRC’s mandate extends beyond tribunal hearings to include investigations, inspections of detention facilities, public education and advising government on human rights matters.
Her appearance followed testimony presented to COSASE on Wednesday by Commissioners Basaliza, Nsubuga and Atuhaire, who alleged that the commission had not held a formal meeting since March 9, 2026.
The commissioners told MPs that Wangadya had been absent for months, creating what they described as a leadership vacuum after the acting chairperson also travelled abroad.
They also questioned reports that Wangadya had communicated her intention to resign through social media rather than following official government procedures.
After hearing both sides, COSASE directed Wangadya and all commissioners to return before the committee on Friday, July 24, as Parliament continues investigations into governance, accountability and operational challenges within the Uganda Human Rights Commission.
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