The Uganda Human Rights Commission – UHRC says poor funding is the major obstacle to fulfilling its mandate to monitor and advance human rights in the country.
The development was communicated by Mariam Wangadya the Chairperson of the Commission while delivering the 2021 Human Rights Report to the Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa on Monday.
She noted that in the Financial Year 2021/2022, the Commission required 72.227 billion Shillings but only 20.897 billion Shillings were allocated.
Similarly, in the 2022/2023 Financial Year, UHRC required 78.81 billion Shillings but only 20.63 billion Shillings (26 percent) has been provided as an indicative budgeting figure which doesn’t provide much help.
The chairperson further told the Deputy Speaker, that in November 2016, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni directed the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to ensure that Government contribution to the Commission increases beginning Financial Year 2017/2018 to no avail.
Also, Parliament’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee equally recommended funding increment to the Commission in a phased manner of 18.71 billion Shillings in FY 2020/2021 to enhance staff salaries, provide civic education to the population, carry out investigations into human rights violations and procurement of vehicles among others but it has never been implemented.
Wangadya pointed out that funding shortfalls impact negatively on the country as the Commission is constrained to investigate impunity, traverse hard-to-reach areas, limited access to detention facilities, and investigate cases of abuse among others.
In his response Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa said that the pertinent issues raised by the Commission will be handled expeditiously by the sectoral committees in order for appropriate actions to be taken.
The Commission asked Parliament to lobby President Museveni to appoint three new members to fill the existing vacuum at the Commission, which currently is being steered by only four members after the exit of two members whose contracts expired and the death of Rev Fr Simon Lokodo in January.
