The Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Mariam Wangadya has resigned, bringing to an end her tenure at the helm of the country’s constitutional human rights body after months of internal leadership disputes.
In a resignation letter dated July 6, 2026, addressed to President Yoweri Museveni, Wangadya formally announced her decision to step down.
“I hereby tender my resignation as Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission. I thank you for the opportunity to serve Uganda over the years in the promotion and protection of human rights,” Wangadya wrote.
Her resignation follows months of internal wrangles that have engulfed the Commission, with several commissioners openly raising concerns about its leadership and management.
The tensions came to a head earlier this year when three UHRC commissioners—Simeo Nsubuga, Col. (Rtd) Steven Basaliza, and Jacklet Atuhaire Rwabukurukuru—petitioned President Yoweri Museveni on February 12, 2026, before submitting a similar complaint to the Inspector General of Government (IGG) on March 4, 2026.
In their petition, the commissioners accused Wangadya of presiding over what they described as systemic mismanagement at the Commission. They alleged financial misconduct, abuse of office, and maladministration in the institution’s operations, claims that exposed deep divisions within the body charged with promoting and protecting human rights in Uganda.
The resignation is expected to trigger changes in the leadership of the Commission, although it remains unclear whether the government has launched formal investigations into the allegations contained in the commissioners’ petition.
Government had not immediately announced Wangadya’s replacement by the time of filing this report, leaving uncertainty over who will assume leadership of the Commission as it seeks to restore stability and public confidence.
The Uganda Human Rights Commission is a constitutional body mandated to promote and protect human rights, investigate complaints of rights violations, and monitor the country’s compliance with national and international human rights standards.