Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) chairperson Mariam Fauzat Wangadya has told Parliament that President Yoweri Museveni rejected her resignation.
She is appearing before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) to respond to accountability concerns raised in the Auditor General’s report.
Wangadya apologised to the committee for failing to appear at an earlier meeting to answer audit queries concerning the Commission. COSASE chairperson Muwada Nkunyingi had on August 10 ordered for Wangadya’s arrest after she failed to appear before the committee.
Asked whether the President had reinstated her, Wangadya rejected the description, saying her resignation had never been completed. She explained that her resignation had not been accepted and therefore, in her view, there was no resignation to rescind.
“I don’t know whether the word ‘reinstate’ me is the right one, because the process was not completed. Maybe technically speaking, I did not resign, since my resignation was not accepted. So the question of reinstating me does not arise,” she said.
Wangadya’s disclosure comes weeks after she publicly criticised the leadership of the Commission and announced her intention to leave office, citing what she described as a toxic working environment and disagreements over the appointment and conduct of some commissioners.
The Committee chaired by Muwanda Nkunyingi is scrutinising the operations and accountability of the Commission. Nkunyingi asked Wangadya whether she had obtained any written communication from the appointing authority confirming that she should remain in office.
Wangadya said the communication with the President had been personal and that she was uncomfortable appearing to exchange words with the committee over the matter.
Muwanda nevertheless directed her to provide the committee with a copy of the document in which she communicated her intention to resign.
Wangadya admitted that she did not have a copy with her but said she had copied the letter to the minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. She committed to submit a copy to the committee secretariat within 24 hours.
The committee also asked her to formally write to withdraw her resignation, given her position that she remains in office. Wangadya agreed to do so, saying she would write the communication possibly on Tuesday.
The issue divided committee members. Kalungu West MP Joseph Ssewungu, who previously raised the matter on the floor of Parliament, insisted that Wangadya had formally tendered her resignation and that there was no written communication rescinding it.
Ssewungu argued that if an official is appointed in writing and subsequently resigns in writing, the withdrawal of that resignation should equally be documented. “There is nothing in Parliament as alleged by Madam Mariam Wangadya that is a verbal communication,” Ssewungu said.
He warned that relying on verbal communication could force the committee to seek clarification directly from President Museveni.
Rubanda West MP Bruce Balaba Kabaasa, however, challenged Ssewungu’s interpretation, saying Wangadya’s communication was an intention to resign at a future date and therefore did not amount to an immediate resignation.
“The resignation we saw was not an instant resignation,” Kabaasa said, arguing that even if it had been accepted, Wangadya would still have remained in office until the date she had indicated.
Jinja West MP Timothy Batuwa Lusala urged the committee to focus on Wangadya’s own account, saying members had placed her on oath and should therefore take her testimony seriously.
He said the Attorney General’s opinion was not binding on Parliament, which has a responsibility to independently examine the matter and make its own findings.
Muwanda said the committee was concerned about the uncertainty surrounding the leadership of UHRC because of the sensitive constitutional mandate entrusted to the Commission.
“We don’t want to see disruption in your position,” Muwanda said, before asking Wangadya whether, irrespective of her conversation with the President, she still wanted to continue serving as chairperson.
The Attorney General, Sam Mayanja, had previously told Parliament that Wangadya had submitted a notice of resignation and remained substantive chairperson until the process was concluded.
Auditor General raises accountability concerns
The appearance before COSASE comes as MPs scrutinise the Auditor General’s report on UHRC for the year ended December 31, 2025.
The committee has raised questions over the Commission’s governance and financial management, including the failure to hold formal commission meetings since March 2026 and the disruption of the tribunal’s operations.
MPs were also told that tribunal hearings had stalled, with the last sessions reportedly held in December 2025 after the budget allocated for hearings was exhausted. The committee has also raised concerns over delays in handling human rights complaints and the management of more than 200 files.
The audit and subsequent parliamentary scrutiny have placed the Commission’s leadership, management of public resources and internal governance under increased scrutiny.
Wangadya’s criticism
Before announcing her intention to resign, Wangadya publicly criticised some of the commissioners appointed to UHRC, accusing them of lacking the competence and credibility needed to lead the institution.
She also complained about what she described as the appointment of people who had failed politically and were financially constrained, suggesting that some had been brought into the Commission to revive their careers or obtain financial relief to cater for their health bills.
Wangadya said the conduct of some commissioners had made her tenure at the Commission difficult. The commissioners, however, have rejected her accusations and in turn accused Wangadya and commissioner Crispin Kaheru of financial misconduct and abuse of office.
Among the allegations raised against them are claims that they personalised UHRC assets, including vehicles, and that money was claimed for trips that were allegedly never undertaken or that travel costs were inflated.
The commissioners have also accused the officials of using UHRC resources to acquire high-capacity generators for their private residences.
“The commissioners have also accused the officials of using UHRC resources to acquire high-capacity generators for their private residences.” One understands that officials reporting officials concerning the blatant corruption that is endemic in this African government fear or do not want to report it! It therefore wants to look like the President of Uganda wants to do all the donkey work for the public, his parliament and in his government!!
Please observer, it will help our readings in your paper if you try to control your money making advertisements and to keep them at a minimum. As readers of your nice paper, we have the choice of not reading your paper if you tell us that your priority is to serve these aggressive advertisers!!!
The level of dishonesty among our elites is mind blowing .
Mariam says that she is still in Office because the appointing authority “Fountain Of Honor ” ( whatever that means) instructed her to stay and not resign , on phone.
I am afraid, that is total BS.
If you are going to RESIGN and you really mean to , its basic knowledge that you first give notice to the one who appointed you , give them the reason/s behind your imminent decision, state your queries and then go public if need be ; you just do not go ahead uttering accusative statements against everyone like she did , only to reappear and claim that you respect the appointing authority .
Mariam`s dishonesty comes in after the a report that was put here to the effect that some Muslim leaders were upset by the publication of what one of the now condemned killers said . The leaders demand an investigation over how those horrible words made it into the news .
How bizarre ! Kiiso kya mbuzi….?
I would think that the Islamic leaders would have been outraged , not only by what the woman said , namely that Islam allows the collection of ransoms and the elimination of the hostage , but also that those murderers showed up in court all dressed up in an attire that identifies a ” believer “- a Muslim .
And then this : our dear friend Hon. Haji Ssemujju Nganda told us that before he took cover outside of Uganda , he had not known that the Fountain of Honor and his Son were capable of abducting and “basementing” innocent people .He added that before he returns , he needs to be assured that he will not end up in any basement . Who gives that assurance is yet to be revealed .
We are like in an endless wow moment .
Betty, it’s inevitable that most of these appointed elites at the end of their tenures, always emerge tainted and smelling bad. It’s a rub-off from the appointing head, who has wilfully condoned and abetted the running down of the morals and institutions of this country. Sad.
Exactly .
Our Supreme Leader survives on manipulation ; but the irony is that he too has now become the most manipulated personality in Uganda , and even beyond .Nameere feeds him with lots of lies , he makes her Minister . Balam tells him that NUP brought three trucks full of stones in Kawempe , Balaam is given the job of catching thieves and liars .
As for Mariam, she is not going to be the smartest out there ; but she knows where the loopholes are located. That “resignation” of hers was never a resignation . She went public well knowing that SP Museveni does not like it when people take his power away by deciding to jump on their own jump ; he prefers pushing them himself.
General Ssabalwanyi knows that Mariam is not going to find it easy to head a team which has declared that she has no clue how to manage a demanding authority of UHRC caliber; On her part , she has already stated that the people that were selected to work under her are a bunch of needy nonentities .( this may explain why “bad smellers” of Nameere`s type are Ministers but Simeo Nsubuga is not .
In essence SL YKM has set up UHRC for failure , just as he does with all other institutions .