UHRC Chairperson Wangadya told to ignore media, focus on human rights violators

By Francis Lubega

24^th Feb 2022

The Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights has advised the Uganda Human Rights Commission –UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya to focus on her main role of observing human rights defense than concentrating on minor issues among them accusing the media of exaggerating the cases of torture in Uganda.

This was during the commencement of the 45days investigation exercise by the committee over alleged human rights violations by security operatives in the country.

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Anita Among directed the Committee on Human Rights to investigate on torture allegations following the petition from the Opposition Members of Parliament who had even walked out of parliament led by the Leader of Opposition Mathias Mpuuga protesting what they termed as the continued violations of rights of Ugandans by security operatives.

Presenting the commission report to the MPs on the Committee Chaired by the West Budama North legislator Fox Odoi, Wangadya noted that whereas some of these cases are true and known to the commission, there appears to be a deliberate effort to use the media to portray these cases particularly torture in an exaggerated way.

However, her reaction forced the Committee members among them the Buhweju County MP Francis Mwijukye to task the commission to justify her claims against the media which she failed.

The Koboka County MP James Baba noted that it is wrong for the commission chairperson to blame the media yet the torture of citizens is happening in broad day light.

Other members including the Terego District Moman MP Rose Obiga blamed the commission for presenting a half baked report to the committee of parliament with a lot of missing details concerning the people whose cases have been investigated.

Later, one of the UHRC Commissioner Crispin Kaheru pledged to compile all the details of the cases the commission has investigated and present them to the committee by Thursday 3^rd March 2022.

Meanwhile, Mariam Wangadya, the UHRC Chairperson expressed her fear before the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights saying that there are some elements that have kept on bullying her ever since her appointment.