Parliament’s Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee tasked the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) to justify a controversial allocation of Sh1.85 billion under its proposed budget for the 2025/2026 financial year.
What raised eyebrows was the over expenses that include the procurement of 40 presidential portraits and other activities deemed peripheral to its core mandate.
The commission, which appeared before the committee to defend its ministerial policy statement, revealed a total government allocation of sh33 billion for the coming financial year, an increase from sh30.8 billion in the 2024/2025 financial year.
Of this amount, sh342 million is earmarked for complaints management, sh738 million for monitoring government compliance with human rights standards and inspecting detention facilities, and sh770 million for research and civic education.
However, members of the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the Commission’s breakdown of how these funds will be spent, particularly in light of what they termed vague or misplaced priorities.
Lack of budget clarity
Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu sharply criticized the presentation, noting that the commission had failed to attach proper figures to many of its proposed activities.
“A budget is about figures. This is not just a wish list. It’s as though the Commission is taking Parliament for granted,” Katuntu said during the heated session.
The Commission’s accounting officer, Margaret Lucy Ejang, defended the institution’s expenditure plan, saying that their activities include wide-reaching civic and peace education programs, community engagements, and nationwide dialogues to promote human rights.
Among the listed activities are the establishment and support of Human Rights and Peace Clubs in 12 regional offices, 36 community parades, 12 regional dialogues on peace and elections, six review meetings with local governments to integrate human rights into public service, and multiple economic empowerment programs in select regional cities.
Other initiatives include 37 regional talk shows, over 2,000 spot messages broadcast across 12 offices, two TV talk shows conducted from the head office, the acquisition and dissemination of 18 books and interviews, and the development and printing of the Bill of Rights in five major local languages.
“We can provide a breakdown of each of those items. Our efforts are broad-based and aimed at raising public awareness of human rights at the grassroots,” Ejang told the committee.
However, Committee Chairperson John Teira (Bugabula North) ordered the Commission to resubmit a revised document with a clear breakdown of figures for internal review.
“We’re allowing the Commission to clarify and resubmit the budget so that we can make informed recommendations. We need transparency,” Teira said.
Spotlight on presidential portraits
One of the most contentious issues that dominated the session was the proposed procurement of 40 presidential portraits in the 2025/2026 financial year.
Erute South MP Jonathan Odur questioned the rationale behind this item, sarcastically asking whether it suggested the Commission’s anticipation of a new President in 2026 or dissatisfaction with the current portraits.
“Is this part of the Commission’s prediction that Uganda will have a new President, or is it that the current portraits don’t resemble the current President enough?” Odur asked, noting that the procurement appeared to be outside the Commission’s constitutional mandate of protecting and promoting the rights of all Ugandans.
Odur further castigated the Commission for “veering off course” and accused it of prioritizing image-building at the expense of critical human rights issues.
Commission promises revised report
In response to the barrage of concerns, UHRC Chairperson Mariam Wangadya conceded that the Commission had not provided sufficient details and pledged to submit a revised report with comprehensive figures and justifications.
“We concede that we are going to provide detailed information. We may not know exactly how much time we have, but we shall deliver as soon as possible,” Wangadya assured the committee.
Despite the pushback, Wangadya emphasized that the Commission continues to serve an important national function in safeguarding human rights, especially in the lead-up to the 2026 general elections.
Questions of prioritization
The scrutiny of the UHRC budget comes at a time when Parliament is increasingly focused on accountability and value-for-money in public spending. While the Commission outlined various outreach and education initiatives, MPs insist that such efforts must not come at the cost of transparency or constitutional fidelity.
“Civic education and human rights awareness are crucial, but they must be grounded in strategic and meaningful budgeting. Otherwise, we are simply rubber-stamping bureaucracy,” said one committee member off the record.
