Three members of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) have openly challenged their Chairperson, Mariam Wangadya, creating a dispute that has attracted national attention. In response, Wangadya recently spoke to the media, describing what she called years of hostility from some commissioners and alleging that they are being supported by Members of Parliament whom she previously reported to the President over corruption allegations. Her remarks have since sparked widespread public debate.
Speaking during an interview on July 3, 2026, Wangadya said the signs of trouble emerged even before she formally assumed office in 2021. She recalled that immediately after her parliamentary vetting, two MPs escorted her out and one warned her that a fellow commissioner would make every effort to undermine her leadership, tarnish her reputation and make her tenure difficult.
According to her, those warnings eventually became reality. The Chairperson said her first interaction with the commissioner in question reinforced those fears. She alleged that the commissioner introduced himself or herself as someone who had previously influenced the removal of former Energy Minister Irene Muloni by writing a report that was submitted to the President and allegedly contributed to her exit from Cabinet.
Wangadya explained that she had never experienced such a hostile working environment throughout her career in public service. She claimed that the commissioner repeatedly reminded her that security agencies, including the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), allegedly had multiple files concerning her, assertions she says she never took seriously because she had nothing to hide.
She maintained that since joining government service in 1996, neither her conduct nor loyalty to Uganda had ever been questioned. Nevertheless, she said she was frequently reminded that she was not born in Western Uganda and was repeatedly told that she would not complete her six-year term as Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission.
The Chairperson further accused some commissioners of sponsoring reports suggesting she was under investigation. She dismissed those claims as part of a coordinated smear campaign orchestrated by three commissioners working alongside politicians whom she had previously accused of seeking bribes from her.
According to Wangadya, the campaign against her is being funded by powerful individuals. She argued that the commissioners alone would not have had the resources to sustain what she described as continuous attacks against her through various media platforms.
She alleged that one of the MPs against whom she testified in court has been actively supporting efforts to damage her reputation. She also claimed that a particular media house has played a significant role in amplifying the attacks and accused it of reporting on the matter in a manner influenced by ethnic bias.
Wangadya noted that although President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni later forgave the MPs involved in the earlier corruption controversy, they have never forgiven her for exposing the matter. She insisted that she merely fulfilled her duties and committed no wrongdoing.
The UHRC Chairperson used the interview to appeal to the Director of Public Prosecutions to reconsider a case in which she was the complainant. She noted that she had already testified in court and was ready to undergo cross-examination before the prosecution was discontinued.
She argued that reopening the case would allow the public to determine whether the statements she made to the President and investigators were truthful. She said she remains prepared to defend her testimony in any legal forum.
Wangadya added that if the case cannot be reopened, she would like permission to release an audio recording related to the matter so that the public can better understand the origins of the hostility she continues to face.
Turning to the broader issue of leadership at the Commission, Wangadya reminded the public that the Uganda Human Rights Commission has a constitutional mandate to protect and promote the rights of all Ugandans. Because of this responsibility, she argued that its leadership should be composed of individuals with unquestionable integrity and competence.
Referring to Article 51 of the Constitution, she emphasized that commissioners are expected to be people of high moral standing and proven integrity. She expressed disappointment that, in her view, some appointees have not lived up to those constitutional expectations.
The Chairperson also reflected on her three decades in public service, including eight years as Deputy Inspector General of Government and a period serving as Acting IGG. She said that throughout her career she consistently rejected bribes and resisted attempts by influential individuals to manipulate investigations and prosecutions for personal or political gain.
Concluding her remarks, Wangadya dismissed allegations that she had stolen money from the Commission, arguing that UHRC operates on a limited budget and does not possess the vast resources implied by her critics. She maintained that if she had been the corrupt official some media outlets portray her to be, she would have become wealthy long before joining the Commission. She called on journalists to verify allegations through the Inspectorate of Government and urged the media to remain professional, factual and fair in reporting on the controversy.
