Human Rights Commission joins national Covid task force

The Uganda Human Rights Commission has been added onto the national covid task force.

“We wish to announce that the Uganda Human Rights Commission has been co-opted as a member on the Covid national task force. This is an important decision that will ensure that the observance of human rights is integrated in decision making, policies and actions of the task force,” said Dr.Patricia Acha Okiria, one of the commissioners for UHRC.

The Uganda Human Rights Commission is a government body mandated with to monitoring and advancing human rights in the country.

According to Acha, UHRC’s admission will help the Covid task force apply a human rights based approach in fulfillment of its assignments.

“Our constitutional duty is to ensure that government can guarantee that all policies, decisions and actions implemented in the circumstances of the Covid pandemic will be for the realization of all the human rights and will not instead violate them in the implementing process.”

The Uganda Human Rights Commission recently blasted government for over the Covid relief cash distribution that they said was discriminatory.

The commission is also concerned about the method of disbursement of the relief funds. Some vulnerable persons who don’t own a mobile phone or don’t have a National Identification Number(NIN) may miss out,” UHRC said recently.

“Concerns have also been raised about beneficiaries whose NINs don’t correspond with their mobile money account details and who will have to access the funds through Post Bank mobile vans. Besides, some of the vulnerable persons dont have the technical ability to use electronic gadgets and may be susceptible to fraudsters when they seek assistance on accessing their funds.”

According to the commission, with their admission to the national covid task force, government will avoid such scenarios like it happened during the distribution of relief cash.

“The fight against the Covid pandemic is a concerted effort by evreryone in Uganda and the world at large.  By strictly adhering to the SOPs, the citizens will not only protect themselves but also those around them,” said UHRC’s Dr.Patricia Acha Okiria on Monday.