Improved Human Rights Observance Noted in 18 Ugandan Districts, UHRC Reports

The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has observed a significant improvement in human rights compliance across 18 districts, particularly in the Busoga and Bukedi sub-regions. Ms. Betty Enangu, who leads UHRC’s efforts in these areas, shared insights into their current operations, revealing that they are presently handling only 12 cases of human rights abuses since the beginning of the year.

Speaking in Jinja City on the eve of International Human Rights Defenders Day, Ms. Enangu pondered the low number of reported violations. “We keep asking ourselves: are there no violations of people’s rights, or do people not report them? What is the problem? Are they very comfortable?” she queried.

While the UHRC has received 400 cases this year, the majority were not directly handled by them but referred to other agencies. “Since Jinja is an Industrial City, we received many labor-related cases and had to refer them to the district labor office. We also referred land dispute cases that escalated to criminal offenses to the police,” Ms. Enangu explained.

Currently, the UHRC is dealing with a backlog of 57 cases, with the oldest case dating back to 2017. This indicates a significant decrease in new complaints and an improvement in processing times.

Mr. Robert Kirenga, the Executive Director of the National Coalition for Human Rights Defenders, emphasized the need for a supportive environment that allows human rights advocates to operate without fear, which is crucial for maintaining the momentum in human rights improvements.

The 2022 Uganda Human Rights Commission Annual Report provides further context, indicating the primary sources of human rights complaints. The report shows that the highest number of complaints were lodged against the Uganda Police Force, which accounted for 52 percent (411 cases), followed by private individuals (147 cases) and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (96 cases). This data underscores the ongoing challenges and the critical areas where attention is still required to uphold human rights and freedom in Uganda.