Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) chairperson Mariam Fauzat Wangadya has told Parliament that President Yoweri Museveni rejected her resignation.She is appearing before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) to respond to accountability concerns raised in the Auditor General’s report.Wangadya apologised to the committee for failing to appear at an earlier meeting to answer audit queries concerning the Commission. COSASE chairperson Muwada Nkunyingi had on August 10 ordered for Wangadya’s arrest after she failed to appear before the committee.Her disclosure comes weeks after she publicly criticised the leadership of the Commission and announced her intention to leave office, citing what she described as a toxic working environment and disagreements over the appointment and conduct of some commissioners. Auditor General raises accountability concernsThe appearance before COSASE comes as MPs scrutinise the Auditor General’s report on UHRC for the year ended December 31, 2025.The committee has raised questions over the Commission’s governance and financial management, including the failure to hold formal commission meetings since March 2026 and the disruption of the tribunal’s operations.MPs were also told that tribunal hearings had stalled, with the last sessions reportedly held in December 2025 after the budget allocated for hearings was exhausted. The committee has also raised concerns over delays in handling human rights complaints and the management of more than 200 files.The audit and subsequent parliamentary scrutiny have placed the Commission’s leadership, management of public resources and internal governance under increased scrutiny.Wangadya’s criticismBefore announcing her intention to resign, Wangadya publicly criticised some of the commissioners appointed to UHRC, accusing them of lacking the competence and credibility needed to lead the institution.She also complained about what she described as the appointment of people who had failed politically and were financially constrained, suggesting that some had been brought into the Commission to revive their careers or obtain financial relief to cater for their health bills.COSASE sessionWangadya said the conduct of some commissioners had made her tenure at the Commission difficult. The commissioners, however, have rejected her accusations and in turn accused Wangadya and commissioner Crispin Kaheru of financial misconduct and abuse of office.Among the allegations raised against them are claims that they personalised UHRC assets, including vehicles, and that money was claimed for trips that were allegedly never undertaken or that travel costs were inflated.The commissioners have also accused the officials of using UHRC resources to acquire high-capacity generators for their private residences.The post Museveni rejected my resignation, UHRC’s Wangadya tells MPs appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.