KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) chairperson Mariam Fauzat Wangadya has told Parliament that President Yoweri Museveni rejected her resignation, ending weeks of uncertainty over whether she had formally left office.
Wangadya made the disclosure on Tuesday, August 11, while appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) to respond to accountability concerns raised in the Auditor General’s report.
She also apologised to the committee for failing to attend an earlier summons, an absence that prompted COSASE chairperson Muwada Nkunyingi to order her arrest and production before the committee.
Wangadya rejected the suggestion that the President had “reinstated” her, arguing that her resignation had never been formally completed because it had not been accepted.
“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 told the committee.
Her explanation followed weeks of uncertainty after she publicly announced her intention to leave the UHRC, citing what she described as a toxic working environment and disagreements with some commissioners.
Wangadya asked to produce resignation documents
Nkunyingi questioned Wangadya on whether she had received written communication from the appointing authority confirming that she should remain in office.
Wangadya said her communication with President Museveni had been personal and indicated that she was uncomfortable discussing the details before the committee.
Nkunyingi nevertheless directed her to provide the committee with a copy of the document in which she communicated her intention to resign.
Wangadya said she did not have a copy with her but had copied the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
She undertook to submit the document to the committee secretariat within 24 hours.
The committee also asked her to formally communicate the withdrawal of her resignation, given her position that she remains chairperson.
Wangadya agreed, saying she would write to the relevant authorities.
MPs divided over whether she resigned
The issue exposed differences among committee members over the legal status of Wangadya’s resignation.
Kalungu West MP Joseph Ssewungu, who had previously raised the matter in Parliament, argued that Wangadya had formally submitted her resignation and that there was no written communication showing that she had withdrawn it.
Ssewungu said the process should be documented to avoid uncertainty over the leadership of a constitutional human rights institution.
“There is nothing in Parliament as alleged by Madam Mariam Wangadya that is a verbal communication,” he said.
He warned that the committee could be forced to seek clarification directly from President Museveni if no written documentation was produced.
Rubanda West MP Bruce Balaba Kabaasa offered a different interpretation, arguing that Wangadya’s communication amounted to an intention to resign at a future date rather than an immediate resignation.
“The resignation we saw was not an instant resignation,” Kabaasa said.
He argued that even if the resignation had been accepted, Wangadya would have remained in office until the date specified in her notice.
Jinja West MP Timothy Batuwa Lusala urged the committee to focus on Wangadya’s testimony, noting that she was appearing under oath.
He also argued that an opinion from the Attorney General did not prevent Parliament from independently examining the matter.
Attorney General previously addressed her status
The dispute comes after Attorney General Sam Mayanja previously told Parliament that Wangadya had submitted a notice of resignation but remained the substantive UHRC chairperson until the resignation process was concluded.
Wangadya’s latest testimony now provides her account of what happened after she communicated her intention to leave office.
Nkunyingi said the uncertainty was particularly concerning because of the sensitive constitutional responsibilities assigned to the UHRC.
“We don’t want to see disruption in your position,” he told Wangadya.
He then asked whether, regardless of her communication with the President, she still wanted to continue serving as chairperson.
COSASE scrutinises UHRC finances
Wangadya’s appearance before COSASE is part of a wider parliamentary examination of the UHRC’s governance and financial management.
The committee is scrutinising the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, alongside concerns over the Commission’s operations.
Among the issues raised are questions surrounding the holding of formal commission meetings and the disruption of the UHRC tribunal’s work.
MPs were also told that tribunal hearings had stalled after funds allocated for the hearings were exhausted, with the last reported sessions held in December 2025.
The committee has further raised concerns over delays in resolving human rights complaints and the management of more than 200 files.
The scrutiny has placed the Commission’s leadership, internal governance and management of public resources under increased parliamentary pressure.
Leadership dispute deepens
The accountability inquiry comes against the backdrop of an increasingly public dispute within the Commission.
Before announcing her intention to resign, Wangadya criticised some commissioners, questioning their competence and credibility and alleging that some appointments had been used to give politically unsuccessful individuals another opportunity.
She also alleged that some commissioners were experiencing financial difficulties and suggested that appointments had been used to provide them with financial relief.
The commissioners have rejected Wangadya’s accusations.
Instead, they have accused Wangadya and Commissioner Crispin Kaheru of financial misconduct and abuse of office.
Also Read: Uganda MPs order arrest of UHRC chair Mariam Wangadya over COSASE snub
The allegations include claims that UHRC assets were personalised, that officials claimed money for trips that were allegedly not undertaken or submitted inflated travel costs, and that Commission resources were used to acquire high-capacity generators for private residences.
The allegations remain contested and are part of the wider accountability questions being examined by Parliament.
Arrest order followed earlier absence
The latest appearance also follows a confrontation between Wangadya and COSASE over an earlier summons.
On Monday, August 10, the committee ordered security officials to have her arrested after she failed to appear for a second time.
Wangadya had written to the committee saying she was willing to appear before Parliament’s Human Rights Committee but not COSASE.
Her refusal angered members, who argued that an accounting officer or head of a public institution cannot determine which parliamentary committee they will answer to.
The UHRC accounting officer and commissioners appeared before COSASE on Monday to respond to questions concerning resources received and expenditure during the 2024/2025 financial year, but Wangadya was absent.
Her appearance on Tuesday has now allowed the committee to question her directly over both the Commission’s accountability and the unresolved circumstances surrounding her resignation.
The committee is expected to continue examining the UHRC’s financial management, governance and operations as it determines whether further action is necessary.
