By: Alexander Luyima
In what many are calling an appalling display of misplaced priorities and tone-deaf governance, the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has requested an additional UGX 4.8 billion—a portion of which is reportedly earmarked for purchasing portraits of President Yoweri Museveni for use in offices.
This comes on the heels of an already generous UGX 32.97 billion budget allocation for the financial year 2025/26. The revelation has sparked a wave of anger and disbelief across Ugandan citizens, activists, and members of the diaspora, who view the move as another symptom of a government institution more focused on appeasing the status quo than defending human rights.
A Commission in Crisis
The Uganda Human Rights Commission was established to protect and promote the rights of Ugandans—a mandate that, in recent years, seems to have been abandoned in favor of political posturing.
“What we have is not a human rights watchdog—it’s a public relations department for the regime,” says Joel Sserunkuma, a Kampala-based lawyer and human rights advocate. “While journalists are beaten, opposition figures are tortured, and ordinary citizens are detained in safe houses without trial, the Commission is budgeting for framed photos of the very man presiding over this repression.”
The Commission’s silence on rampant human rights abuses is deafening. Over the last year alone:
Journalists have been arrested, brutalized, and silenced for reporting on protests or corruption.
Opposition supporters have gone missing, and many remain unaccounted for.
Cases of torture and unlawful detentions continue to rise, with no effective investigations or public statements from UHRC.
And yet, while Ugandans demand justice, transparency, and accountability, the Commission’s priority is… portraits?
The People’s Outcry
Social media erupted following the leaked budget request. One viral post sarcastically stated:
> “We asked for human rights. They gave us photos of the dictator. Clowns indeed.”
This sentiment is echoed widely. From civil society organizations to ordinary citizens in the diaspora, the message is clear: the Uganda Human Rights Commission has lost its moral compass.
“They are now accessories to abuse, not defenders against it,” said Sarah Nakawunde, a Ugandan diaspora organizer in Toronto. “They no longer deserve public trust, nor do they represent the people.”
What Does This Say About Uganda’s Leadership?
The budget controversy exposes the broader problem: Uganda’s institutions are being hollowed out and weaponized to serve the interests of a ruling elite, not the citizens.
This isn’t just about portraits. It’s about a systemic failure of governance—where symbolic loyalty to the President is funded more aggressively than the actual fight against human rights abuses.
“Museveni’s face is everywhere, but justice is nowhere,” one activist tweeted, summing up the public mood.
Call to Action
To the people of Uganda and the diaspora: we must demand accountability.
Expose the misuse of funds.
Challenge the institutions that pretend to protect us.
Elevate the voices of those on the frontlines—journalists, whistleblowers, opposition leaders, and everyday citizens facing injustice.
If the Uganda Human Rights Commission wants to be taken seriously again, it must start by earning back the public’s trust—not by hanging portraits, but by taking a stand against the human rights violations it was created to prevent.
Until then, the people will continue to speak where institutions have failed.
Sources: Uganda Parliamentary Budget Committee, testimonies from the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA), Human Rights Watch Uganda Reports, local legal experts and civil society members.
