Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Chairperson Mariam Wangadya has rubbished claims that the Commission turned a blind eye as journalists were roughed up during the chaotic Kawempe North by-election.
Wangadya was leading a joint press conference for the Uganda Media Sector Working Group (UMSWG) in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day.
Wangadya revealed that the UHRC had boots on the ground during the election, led by Commissioner Crispin Kaheru, one of the country’s top election monitors. Their findings on the violence, including the attacks on journalists, were compiled into a detailed report , a report she said was published, publicized, and picked up by major media houses.
But that’s not all. In the heat of the aftermath, Wangadya said she personally convened a crisis meeting with Uganda’s top security bosses, demanding answers over human rights abuses reported during the polls. She stressed that her remarks to security chiefs were not hidden , they were made public and even printed in the one of the daily’s.
Journalists who covered the by-election had complained bitterly of being manhandled by security forces, sparking outrage across the media fraternity.
Now, as political temperatures rise ahead of the 2026 general elections, UHRC says it’s keeping a sharp eye on any abuse and that journalists can count on their protection.
“We will not be silent,” Wangadya vowed.
