The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has started reviewing longstanding human rights violation cases in the Karamoja sub-region so as to reduce the case backlog that is overwhelming the tribunal system.
On Monday, a tribunal led by UHRC chairperson Mariam Fauzat Wangadya convened at the commission’s Moroto regional office to hear and dispose of delayed complaints, particularly those lacking sufficient evidence. Many of the cases involve alleged violations of the right to life, protection from torture, and personal liberty.
Among those dismissed was the case of Paul Apur, a resident of Kaabong district, who accused soldiers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) of shooting and injuring him as a minor.
However, the tribunal found that Apur, who relied on second-hand accounts and lacked medical records or eyewitness testimony, could not prove that a state agent was responsible for his injuries.
Despite visible scars, the case was thrown out for lack of supporting evidence. Wangadya said the tribunal has reviewed 20 cases since the week began, dismissing eight due to insufficient evidence. She attributed the mounting backlog to delays in tribunal sittings, citing inadequate funding and a shortage of commissioners.
“Without enough resources, we cannot convene tribunals, facilitate witnesses, or even pay expert witnesses such as doctors,” Wangadya said, adding that logistical challenges in summoning witnesses across Karamoja’s vast terrain further complicate the process.
She noted that some complainants had died before their cases could be heard and encouraged mediation as a faster route to justice. Most of the reported violations, she said, arose from forceful disarmament operations carried out by joint security forces.
“These violations could have been avoided if communities had responded to the president’s call to voluntarily surrender illegal firearms,” she said.
Paul Piramoe, the commission’s regional human rights officer in Moroto, said the regional office has registered 445 complaints, 166 under active investigation and 279 under legal review.
He said most of the cases implicate UPDF personnel, followed by the police, with prison officers mentioned in only a few incidents. Of the active cases, 50 are pending evidence summaries, while 106 require further fieldwork. Piramoe said the commission aims to reduce the backlog to below 100 by the end of the financial year.
He cited challenges in accessing detention records from military facilities such as the UPDF 3rd Division, where standard detention procedures are often not followed, and suspects are held at inaccessible brigade or battalion levels.
Piramoe also pointed out that many torture victims opt to self-treat rather than seek medical attention, making it harder to obtain the documentation needed to support their claims.
He called for more community sensitisation through radio and public dialogues (barazas), noting that many complainants struggle to recall specific dates, which undermines investigations. “We want to reduce and actually eliminate the backlog so we can focus on new complaints,” Piramoe said.