UHRC Chairperson Wangadya hosts the EAC Pre-Election Assessment delegation ahead of the 2026 general elections.

On Monday 15th December 2025, the Chairperson of Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) Hon. Mariam Wangadya hosted the East African Community pre-elections assessment team at the UHRC headquarters to discuss the electoral environment ahead of the general elections in 2026.  

The Chairperson was flanked by Hon. Crispin Kaheru, Director Pauline Nansamba Mutumba, Ms. Diana Akampereza, and Mrs. Doreen Nabatte Mukunyu.

Hon. Mariam Wangadya gave an overview of the electoral environment in Uganda and the Commission’s interventions to ensure a rights-respecting election.

“Your pre-assessment mission therefore comes at a decisive moment not only in our country’s electoral calendar but in the region as well. Within this context allow me to say, the political environment is active. The civic space is dynamic. The institutional environment is stabilizing, and the human rights context is encouraging, but still demands careful, professional assessment” she said,

She highlighted the Commission’s several engagements with key stakeholders including the Electoral Commission, security agencies, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the National Initiative for Civic Education in Uganda (NICE-UG), UNICEF, political party representatives, civil society, religious and traditional leaders, youth and the media to call for calm and lawful conduct at the height of campaigns.

“As a Commission, we have engaged and brought on board various stakeholders engaged in human rights promotion and defence. These include but are not limited to Defend Defenders, minority groups, UNICEF. We are in constant dialogue with Uganda’s security agencies to maintain overall national stability. To address tensions, UHRC has convened a series of closed-door engagements with heads of security agencies – across the country” she added.

During the meeting on Monday

She also informed the team that the Commission has operationalized a Human Rights Election Situation Room that will conduct real-time monitoring of elections from all our regional offices, handle complaints, track human rights incidents and generate periodic analytical briefs.  

“We have operationalized a Human Rights Election Situation Room. This facility will: Coordinate real-time monitoring from all UHRC regional offices, receive and analyze complaints from the public, track human rights incidents, support rapid-verification teams; and, generate periodic analytical briefs” she revealed

She recommended that the team deploys observers as soon as now in order to strengthen credibility.

“In Uganda, the campaign period is the most sensitive and shapes the entire electoral trajectory. Observers must witness it. We recommend that the EAC deploys its Election Observation Mission now and not on 9th January 2026 as communicated but also depart at around of 29th January 2026 and not 18th January,” she noted.

The team appreciated the Chairperson for the elaborate statement on the electoral environment ahead of the 2026 general elections.

UHRC was established under Article 51 of the Constitution, mandated to monitor, investigate, and report on the state of human rights in all processes, including elections.