UHRC calls for honest voices to shape 2026 human rights report
The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has called for honest, evidence-based input from government, civil society, academia and experts as it prepares its 29th annual report on the state of human rights and freedoms in Uganda in 2026.
The Commission, through its Directorate of Monitoring and Inspections, is holding a two-day consultative meeting to gather perspectives on selected thematic areas. Participants include the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Ministry of Health, Help Age Advocacy Network Uganda, the Uganda Medical Association and the Federation for Uganda Medical Interns, among others.
Opening the meeting on behalf of the Chairperson, Hon. Mariam Wangadya, Commission Member Hon. Shifrah Lukwago said the process is deliberate and indispensable.
"The strength of any National Human Rights Institution lies not only in its independent findings but in the honesty of the voices that shape those findings," she said.
She urged participants to ask hard questions: where the State has made measurable progress, where responses have been inadequate or delayed, and how recommendations from previous reports can be better implemented. She also asked how the Commission can ensure that human rights are treated as lived realities in every home, school, health facility, workplace, police station, prison and government office, rather than abstract principles.
The Chairperson of the Editorial Board and Commission Member, Hon. Crispin Kaheru, said the Commission cannot write a representative report on its own. He explained that the report addresses three issues: progress in the promotion and protection of human rights, the gaps that remain, and what should be done about them. He asked drafters to be courageous in identifying gaps, to be evidence-based, and to reflect the lived experiences of Ugandans rather than textbook examples.
In his welcome remarks, the Acting Secretary to the Commission, Mr. Kamadi Byonabye, listed the themes to be discussed. They include juvenile justice, the right to health, the rights of older persons, the plight and human rights of security guards, air quality, digital rights and food safety.
On juvenile justice, Senior State Attorney at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Counsel Brian Musota, said Uganda has clear legal instruments to support its realisation. "However, the challenge is effective implementation," he said.
On the right to health, the outgoing Secretary General of the Federation for Uganda Medical Interns, Dr. Allan Okwir, described the conditions facing medical interns. He cited delayed deployment, inadequate allowances and long working hours, with some interns working more than 36 hours without rest. He appealed to the Commission to engage stakeholders to address these concerns.
The sessions are being chaired by Commission Members Hon. Jacklet Atuhaire Rwabukurukuru, Hon. Simeo Muwanga Nsubuga and Hon. Lamex Omara Apitta. UHRC Directors Ms. Sarah Nakhumitsa, Ms. Pauline Nansamba Mutumba, Mr. Dennis Kakeeto and Ms. Rosemary Kemigisha, along with selected Commission staff, are also attending.
