The Uganda Human Rights Commission Tribunal has awarded compensation to six complainants in the central region whose cases had been pending for some time, awaiting determination.

The Tribunal which sat at the Commission’s head office on Twed Plaza in Kampala was presided over by the Chairperson, Mariam Wangadya alongside commissioners,  Shifrah Lukwago, Omara Apita and Stephen Basaliza.

The Human Rights Commission Tribunal has not sat for a number of years now due to, among other factors, lack of quorum and the COVID-19 pandemic has resumed tribunal services across the country, beginning from the central region. Priority has been put on cases that have been pending determination for many years.

Aidah Nakiganda, the Director of Legal Services at the Uganda Human Rights Commission told COU Family TV that the commission is handling 19 cases from the central region, 17 from the Gulu regional office in Northern Uganda, 14 from the Soroti and Moroto regional offices.

NAKIGANDA also highlighted that of the six cases the commissioners were supposed to handle today, two complainants have not been compensated due to a number of factors that the Commission will address at a later date.

Mariam Wangadya, the chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission says some delays in the Commission disposing of complaints can be attributed to the laxity of complainants

Previously, the awards by the Uganda Human Rights Commission Tribunal to complainants, was borne by the Attorney General and not the individual or institution against whom the complaint was lodged, much like court awards.

However, following a policy shift after June 2015, it is now the individual or institution to pay the aggrieved instead of the Attorney General.