WE LET YOU DOWN! Mariam Wangadya Apologizes to Museveni as She Cries Before MPs

For much of her public career, Mariam Wangadya has projected the composure expected of the head of Uganda’s Human Rights Commission. But on Thursday morning, inside a packed committee room at Parliament, that composure finally gave way.

As she stood before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Wangadya broke down in tears.

The hearing, chaired by Bugabula North MP John Teira, had been convened to examine the deepening crisis engulfing the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), an institution constitutionally mandated to protect citizens’ rights but now consumed by bitter internal divisions.

UHRC Commissioner Crispin Kaheru, seated beside her, leaned in to comfort the visibly emotional chairperson before she regained her composure and continued reading a statement that mixed apology, frustration and personal anguish.

It was a remarkable moment from a woman who, only weeks earlier, had written to President Yoweri Museveni resigning from office after months of relentless infighting, public accusations and investigations that have shaken one of Uganda’s most important constitutional bodies.

“By the time a woman in my situation picks a pen and writes a resignation letter resigning her job, she must be in imaginable agony. On behalf of UHRC, I apologize to the president, this Parliament and all Ugandans. We have let you down,” Wangadya said.

The apology marked one of the most emotional admissions yet by the outgoing chairperson, who acknowledged that the commission had failed to deliver on its constitutional mandate because of prolonged internal conflict.

Five Months of Fighting Instead of Defending Rights

Appearing before the committee, Wangadya painted the picture of a commission paralysed by internal warfare.

Rather than carrying out the responsibilities assigned to her under Article 52 of the Constitution—including supervising investigations, constituting tribunal panels, writing rulings and engaging the public—she said she had spent nearly half a year defending herself.

“My full time job now is to defend myself against baseless, malicious and defamatory accusations. I have spent the past five months being terrorised by the media, receiving calls from friends and relatives who comfort me, and also from haters who tell me to go to hell.”

She said the endless accusations had robbed the commission of valuable time that should have been devoted to protecting Ugandans’ rights.

“I should be in the field engaging citizens, hosting barazas, interacting with refugees, and addressing key human rights issues. Instead, I have spent months responding to allegations and clarifying that I am not under investigation, not in hiding, and not involved in any wrongdoing,” she said.

According to Wangadya, repeated summons by various parliamentary committees, coupled with intense media attention and social media attacks, had left her under immense psychological pressure.

She argued that the commission itself had become dysfunctional as some commissioners shifted their energies from serving the public to fighting the institution’s leadership.

“The work of at least half of the commission has shifted from serving the public to targeting the leadership. Meetings have become platforms for humiliation and confrontation instead of advancing the commission’s mandate,” she said.

She questioned whether taxpayers were receiving value for money from an institution whose leaders had become consumed by internal disputes instead of promoting and protecting human rights.

Reflecting on her years of public service, Wangadya said she had never witnessed such hostility.

“I have worked under different chairpersons and institutions, and I have never seen a head of an institution subjected to this level of harassment and disrespect,” she said.

She also revealed the deeply personal impact the controversy had taken on her life, telling MPs that she is a single mother and the sole breadwinner for her family.

Her resignation, she suggested, was born not of convenience but exhaustion.

“I apologise to His Excellency the President, to Parliament, and to all Ugandans. We have let you down,” Wangadya said.

A Commission at War With Itself

The crisis has been building for months.

Earlier this month, Wangadya formally petitioned President Museveni and tendered her resignation after sustained disputes with fellow commissioners.

The conflict intensified after commissioners Simeo Nsubuga, Col (Rtd) Steven Basaliza and Jacklet Atuhaire Rwabukurukuru petitioned President Museveni on February 12, 2026, before lodging another complaint with the Inspector General of Government (IGG) on March 4.

The trio accused Wangadya of presiding over systemic mismanagement, alleging financial impropriety, abuse of office and maladministration in the running of the commission.

Wangadya has consistently dismissed the accusations, insisting they are baseless, malicious and part of a coordinated campaign to destroy her reputation.

She accused some commissioners of filing complaints against her with virtually every major government institution, including the Presidency, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Attorney General, Parliament and the IGG.

Commissioners Demand an Apology

The latest parliamentary hearing was triggered by fresh complaints from commissioners Simeo Nsubuga and Col (Rtd) Steven Basaliza.

The two former legislators rejected remarks Wangadya allegedly made during a recent press conference, where she suggested the commission had become a refuge for failed politicians.

Nsubuga, who represented Kassanda South in the 10th Parliament, argued that the remarks specifically targeted him, Basaliza and fellow commissioner Jacklet Rwabukurukuru—the only three former MPs on the commission.

“On the 3rd of this month, it was a Friday, our chairperson addressed a press conference where she labelled, specifically, the three of us. Why am I saying so? Because out of the six, it is myself, Basaliza, and Jacklet (Rwabukurukuru), who are former members of parliament. She called us political rejects. People who should be thrown in the dust bin,” Nsubuga said.

He argued that the comments amounted to disrespect for the appointing authority.

“To me, that was disrespecting and undermining the appointing authority, who is the President of the Republic of Uganda and Commander-in-Chief (President Museveni). She even went an extra mile to say that some of us were on ARVs (antiretroviral drugs). Members, can you imagine where someone heading a human rights body in a country, who is supposed to ensure that people access drugs and you tell fellow commissioners that they are on ARVs! To me, I think that was beyond.”

Nsubuga defended both his qualifications and record in the human rights sector.

“Let me set the record clear; I am not a political reject. I am well conversant with this subject of human rights. I have a masters degree in human rights. I am a research fellow of Makerere University on human rights. For five years, I was in this parliament, I was a member of a standing committee on human rights. We used to look at these human rights annual reports.”

Basaliza, the former Burahya County MP, similarly rejected any suggestion that he was unqualified to serve on the commission.

“A man who they say is a non-performer has a Bachelor of Laws, Post-graduate at LDC (Law Development Centre) and a masters. I left parliament in 2006, twenty years down the road, I didn’t even compete. So, I am not in politics. I also add my voice that when she (Wangadya) comes tomorrow, she should apologise,” Basaliza stated.

Basaliza also said Wangadya’s alleged remarks suggesting some commissioners were living with HIV had deeply distressed his family.

An Institution Facing an Uncertain Future

Thursday’s emotional testimony underscored the extent to which Uganda’s premier human rights institution has become consumed by internal conflict instead of carrying out the work for which it was created.

Whether Wangadya’s public apology eases tensions remains uncertain.

With her resignation awaiting action and Parliament continuing its scrutiny of the commission, the government now faces the challenge of restoring credibility, stability and public confidence in an institution entrusted with defending the rights of millions of Ugandans.

To illustrate, how tough the job was, a UHRC  Commission Boss previously shocked the Nation after revealing how fellow commissioners went into meetings with Guns, as reported Here.

It should be remembered that Museveni is yet to approve Mariam Wangadya’s resignation. Also, Wangadya refused to apologize to Museveni’s son and army Chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. (See Details Here and There).