KAMPALA, Uganda — Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has directed the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Mariam Wangadya, to appear before it on Friday, July 24, after she failed to attend a meeting examining the Commission’s Auditor General’s report.
The directive followed revelations of what committee members described as a serious breakdown in leadership and governance at the constitutional body.
During a meeting chaired by Muwada Nkunyingi on Wednesday, officials from the Uganda Human Rights Commission admitted that the Commission had not held a formal meeting since March 2026, despite the law requiring commissioners to meet regularly to oversee the institution’s operations.
Nkunyingi questioned the Acting Secretary and Accounting Officer, Kamadi Byonabye, over governance and accountability at the Commission, reminding him that although he assumed office following the retirement of former Accounting Officer Margaret Lucy Ejang, he remained responsible for accounting for public resources under Article 164 of the Constitution.
Byonabye told the committee that he had personally informed Wangadya about the parliamentary invitation, but she reportedly responded that the matters contained in the Auditor General’s report were technical and could be handled by the Commission’s management.
Nkunyingi warned that Parliament would not hesitate to invoke its legal powers should Wangadya fail to appear before the committee.
“We are giving her and the Commission a second chance. The matters to handle are very, very concerning,” Nkunyingi said.
Commissioner Simeo Nsubuga confirmed that the commissioners last met in March and acknowledged that no formal Commission meetings had been convened since then.
“We are supposed to have a monthly Commission meeting. The Commission meeting is the top management decision-making body of the Commission,” Nsubuga told the committee.
He, however, admitted that he had never formally written to the Chairperson or fellow commissioners requesting that another meeting be convened.
The disclosure raised concern among legislators, with Martin Muzaale, the Member of Parliament for Buzaaya County, questioning how the Commission had continued executing its constitutional mandate, including submitting reports to Parliament, without its top decision-making organ meeting for months.
Similarly, Gerald Nangoli, the Member of Parliament for Elgon North County, described the Commission as appearing dysfunctional, arguing that the prolonged absence of meetings had undermined public confidence in the institution.
The committee also heard that the Commission’s tribunal system has effectively ground to a halt because, under the Uganda Human Rights Act, only the Chairperson is legally mandated to preside over tribunal proceedings.
Commissioner Shifrah Lukwago told MPs that complaints requiring tribunal hearings have remained pending because the Chairperson has not been available to conduct the sessions.
The Director of Complaints, Investigations and Legal Services at UHRC, Pauline Nansamba, further disclosed that the Commission last held tribunal sessions in December 2025 after exhausting the budget allocated for hearing human rights cases.
The developments come weeks after Wangadya submitted her resignation to President Yoweri Museveni on July 6, 2026.
However, the Attorney General has advised that her resignation will only take effect after it is formally accepted by the appointing authority, meaning she remains the substantive Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission until that process is completed.
COSASE is expected to continue scrutinising the Commission’s governance, financial management, and operational performance when Wangadya appears before the committee on Friday.
