Human rights commission requests for more funding
UHRC boss Mariam Wangadya. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
The suspension of Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) for close to two years has affected UHRC activities.
The chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Ms Mariam Wangadya, has said the entity is facing a funding gap, which has hindered them from fully delivering on their mandate.
Ms Wangadya told legislators, who were meeting the Commission in Kampala yesterday, that more funding is required to finance some of the core activities such as investigations, tribunal hearings, research, and field work.
“I appeal to Parliament to increase the allocation of funding to the commission for effective and efficient execution of our mandate,” she said.
“We also need money to buy equipment such as vehicles and computers. It is not safe and sustainable to rely on donor support for such activities,” the UHRC boss added.
Ms Wangadya also said the suspension of Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) for close to two years has affected their activities such as investigations and civic education.
She appealed to President Museveni to process the appointments of the new members of the commission since they are not fully staffed.
Ms Wangadya said the commission has only 12 regional offices and 11 field offices across the country.
While presenting the 22nd and 23rd Annual Report on the state of Human rights and Freedoms in Uganda for 2019 and 2020 in December last year, the commission boss said they have a funding gap of Shs15.8 billion.
The Buhweju County MP, Mr Francis Mwijukye, claimed government has deliberately refused to fund the commission because it is playing its mandate of checks and balances.
“The government is not ready for checks and balances. Therefore, they would not want money to be given to the commission that is going to do oversight on the activities of the government and so it is deliberate that they are not given money,” Mr Mwijukye said.
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He also claimed DGF cannot operate in Uganda because it was helping the commission to expose the government.
