The Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has called for the resignation of Ms. Mariam Wangadya, the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC). The FDC alleges that Ms. Wangadya has not fulfilled her constitutional duties in safeguarding the human rights of citizens.
During a recent press conference in Kampala, Mr. John Kikonyogo, the party spokesperson, asserted that the Commission had been unable to locate 18 purportedly missing supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP), the largest Opposition political party in Parliament, for the past year. He criticized the Commission’s failure to exercise its constitutional powers to independently investigate the status of prisoners.
Mr. Kikonyogo emphasized the importance of the Commission’s role, stating, “The Human Rights Commission has the constitutional powers to go to any prison to check for any prisoner, and they don’t need permission from anybody. But how can you bring a report that these ones we don’t know where they are because you didn’t give us enough information? It is your responsibility to seek out information.”
He continued, “How can people go missing? Even when you lose a needle at home, everyone can search for it and find it, but when it comes to human beings, 18 of them, you don’t know where they are, you should resign if you can’t perform your duties.”
In response, Ms. Wangadya mentioned earlier this month that some of the next of kin of the missing individuals had shown no interest in pursuing the complaints. She stated, “It will be futile for us to keep those files open when the people provided to us as the next of kin of the missing persons are not interested in these cases, so we have taken a decision to close those files.”
Mr. Kikonyogo criticized the Commission, accusing it of appearing to defend the government. He asserted, “Here is a Human Rights Commission, and it seems as though it is acting as a government branch trying to protect the government. Even if it is just one person missing, we want these individuals released.”
In response to the allegations, Ms. Wangadya brushed them off, and Mr. Alex Bukumunhe, the Commission’s acting spokesperson, emphasized the duty of every citizen to cooperate with the government and other institutions. He referred to Article 17 of the Constitution, which mandates citizens to report when there is a missing person. Mr. Bukumunhe suggested that before calling for Ms. Wangadya’s resignation, the FDC should provide the Commission with any information they believe she has not acted upon. He noted that when she fails to take appropriate action, that would be the time to consider her resignation.
Furthermore, Mr. Bukumunhe disclosed that the Commission had received additional information about some of the alleged missing persons, and efforts to trace them were ongoing.
