news 10 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Parliament Orders Arrest of UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya
Parliament has issued an arrest warrant for Mariam Wangadya, Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), after she failed to appear before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) for accountability queries. The directive stems from financial discrepancies highlighted in the Auditor General's report. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/parliament-orders-arrest-of-uhrc-boss-wangadya-5553568
The Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has ordered the arrest of Ms. Mariam Wangadya, the Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC). This decisive action follows Ms. Wangadya’s repeated failure to appear before the committee to address critical accountability questions related to the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending December 31, 2025.
COSASE Chairperson Mr. Muwada Nkunyingi issued a formal directive to the Commander of the Parliament Police Division, mandating the apprehension of Ms. Wangadya. She is to be produced before the committee on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at 9:00 AM. Mr. Nkunyingi cited rules of parliamentary procedure, emphasizing that Ms. Wangadya had ignored two prior summons without providing adequate justification.
Ms. Wangadya’s absence occurred when a UHRC delegation, led by the Acting Secretary, arrived at Parliament without her. She had sent a letter explaining her unavailability, stating her intention to present the national human rights status report to Parliament’s Human Rights Committee instead. However, Mr. Nkunyingi rejected this, asserting that individuals summoned by COSASE cannot dictate where or how they present themselves, as all Auditor General reports concerning statutory bodies fall under COSASE’s purview.
He further clarified that COSASE possesses the exclusive constitutional mandate to scrutinize financial accountability issues arising from Auditor General reports for bodies like the UHRC. Ms. Wangadya, in her correspondence, had indicated she had previously addressed some queries with the Parliament’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee. The committee’s investigation also extends to broader governance and operational matters within the UHRC.
This situation follows recent reports of Ms. Wangadya’s purported resignation notice to President Yoweri Museveni, though the Attorney General later advised she remains the substantive Chairperson. Ms. Wangadya declined to comment on the impending arrest when contacted.