As Uganda gears up for the 2026 general elections, the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has sounded the alarm over insufficient funding that could undermine its ability to ensure electoral transparency and uphold human rights.
Despite a slight increase in its overall budget for the 2025/2026 financial year, UHRC officials warn that critical election monitoring activities remain underfunded.
During a budget presentation to Parliament on Monday, UHRC highlighted the urgent need for Shs4.8 billion in additional funding to support election-related operations, including early warning systems, civic education, human rights monitoring, and the handling of election-related complaints.
UHRC aims to allocate Shs500 million toward establishing an early warning and early response institutional framework, Shs2 billion for conducting civic education and promoting national values related to the 2026 elections, Shs1.5 billion for monitoring human rights throughout the electoral process, and Shs800 million for receiving and investigating election-related complaints.
UHRC’s Ministerial Policy Statement expressed concerns about the potential impact of inadequate funding, stating: “The upcoming elections present a significant challenge, and without adequate resources, we fear our ability to protect and promote human rights will be severely compromised.”
While the government has allocated UHRC Shs32.973 billion for the 2025/26 fiscal year, reflecting an increase from the previous year’s Shs30.78 billion, analysts argue that the additional funds are insufficient.
Notably, the commission’s non-wage recurrent expenditure is set to decline from Shs17.176 billion to Shs15.185 billion, raising concerns over its capacity to sustain daily operations and essential services.
A parliamentary committee has stepped in, recommending an additional Shs24.053 billion to reinforce UHRC’s civic education and public sensitization efforts ahead of the elections.
The committee’s recommendation states: “The Committee recommends an additional Shs24.053 billion… to undertake countrywide civic and values education and sensitization on protection and promotion of human rights as the country prepares for general elections in 2026.”
