My life is in danger, rights boss tells Parliament

The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) chairperson, Ms Mariam Wangadya

What you need to know:

  • As she appeared before the Committee on Human Rights, Ms Wangadya said she was being bullied by a section of Ugandans that she didn’t disclose

The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) chairperson, Ms Mariam Wangadya, yesterday told Parliament that her life is being threatened by a section of Ugandans and hence obstructing her from effectively delivering on her mandate.
As she appeared before the Committee on Human Rights, Ms Wangadya said she was being bullied by a section of Ugandans that she didn’t disclose.

As a follow-up, the MPs demanded that Ms Wangadya provides details of the people threatening her, a response she didn’t provide.
“I want to say that I have a tough skin but at the end of the day, I am human. Indeed, there comes a time when I am scared. As to who bullies me, I am so scared that I cannot even mention the people who bully me,” Ms Wangadya said.

She added: “But all I can say is that they are non-state actors and I pray for a time when the chairperson of the commission will be free to express herself without being bullied. But this is our country, I will continue doing best to execute the mandate of the Human rights commission.”


Also the committee grilled top officials of the Uganda Human Rights Commission for not taking action against security organs accused of inflicting torture on Ugandans and other acts of human rights violation.
In a heated session chaired by Mr Fox Odoi (West Budama North), majority of the MPs of the committee were irked by what they described as a shallow report presented by Mr Wangadya on the state of human rights in the country.

Kibaale Woman MP Noeline Kisembo Basemera poked holes in Ms Wangadya’s presentation, demanding she avails the committee with a more detailed report in regard the acts of human rights violation.
“The report is limited on information. It does not indicate the outcomes of the investigations that they have done and yet it is the main interest of his committee. So what do we get from this report?” Ms Basemera wondered.
Ms Wangadya replied: “I want to concede that my presentation lack specifics and we shall present them next week.” 

UHRC under fire
The MPs were also angered by the UHRC officials for attacking the media whom they said were exaggerating the cases of human rights violation.
In her report, Ms Wangadya said: “Whereas some of these (torture cases) are true and known to the Commission, I hasten to add that there appears to be deliberate efforts to use the media to portray heightened cases, particularly of torture, which are exaggerated or out rightly not true.”

In rebuttal, the deputy chairperson of the committee, Ms Jennifer Mbabazi (Kagadi Woman), said: “Does the Human Rights Commission have a public relations officer? If so, why shouldn’t he [she] come out and clarify on the issue?”
Ms Mbabazi was also quick to discard the excuse of shortage of funding fronted by the UHRC insisting that the commission should aim at maximising the resources within their reach.

“You can’t keep complaining of the problem of the money all the time. Let us see you use what you have at the moment,”  she said.
Following the November 2020 riots that followed the arrest of National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine, a number of Ugandans have been arrested and held incommunicado.


CASES REGISTERED
There have also been several complaints levelled against state security agencies for illegally arresting and detaining Ugandans opposed to government. In the report presented to Parliament, UHRC revealed that 1,205 complaints of human rights violations were registered between 2020 and January 2022. Of these, 600 are cases of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

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