FDC calls for resignation of rights body boss
Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Chairperson, Mariam Wangadya (L) and member of the commission, Shifrah Lukwago (R) address the media as they launch their report on the missing National Unity Platform 9NUP) members at their secretariat in Kampala on October 10, 2023. PHOTO | ISAAC KASAMANI
What you need to know:
- Mr John Kikonyogo, the party spokesperson, claimed the Commission has failed to trace the 18 alleged missing supporters of the largest Opposition political party in Parliament, the National Unity Platform (NUP), for the past year.
Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), has called for the resignation of the chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), Ms Mariam Wangadya, citing alleged failure to execute her constitutional duties of defending the human rights of citizens.
While addressing the media in Kampala yesterday, Mr John Kikonyogo, the party spokesperson, claimed the Commission has failed to trace the 18 alleged missing supporters of the largest Opposition political party in Parliament, the National Unity Platform (NUP), for the past year.
“The Human Rights Commission has the constitutional powers to go to any prison to check for any prisoner, they don’t need permission from anybody but how can you bring a report that these ones we don’t know where they are, because you didn’t give us enough information.it is you to look for information,” Mr Kikonyogo said.
He added: “How can you a person get lost, even when you lose a needle at home all of you can look for it and get it, but a human being, you tell me 18 of them you don’t know where they are, you should resign if you can’t do your work.”
However, earlier this month, Ms Wangadya claimed some of the next of kin of the missing persons are not interested in following up the complaints.
“It will be futile for us to keep those files open when the people provided to us as the next of kin of the missing persons are not interested in these cases, so we have taken a decision to close those files,” Ms Wangadya said.
Mr Kikonyogo went on to scoff at the Commission on grounds that it’s instead defending the government.
“But here is a Human Rights Commission, it is as if it is a branch of government trying to defend the government. Even if it is one person, for us, we want these people released,” he said.
Rights body reacts
When contacted, Ms Wangadya brushed off the allegations.
Mr Alex Bukumunhe, the Commission’s acting spokesperson, said: “Every citizen has a duty to cooperate with the government and other institutions. Article 17 of the Constitution mandates every person to report when there is a missing person. So before the party calls for her (Ms Wangadya) resignation, they should bring to the Commission any information they feel she has not acted upon and when she fails, that is when they can call for her resignation.”
Mr Bukumunhe revealed that the Commission has since received additional information about some of the alleged missing persons and that the process of tracing for them continues.
