Assistant Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Augustine Nyatanga, disclosed this week that the Office of the Ombudsman has received a total of 1,341 cases for the 2025/2026 fiscal year to date, with 129 of these concerning human rights issues.
Nyatanga shared these figures during his presentation of the committee of supply for the Office of the Ombudsman, which operates under his ministry. He further revealed that 954 of these cases have been resolved, reflecting a resolution rate of 71%.
Mandated by the Ombudsman Act, the Office is tasked with investigating complaints and allegations of maladministration and human rights violations involving government departments, parastatal entities, and private organizations. It is charged with recommending remedial measures to rectify any injustices resulting from proven maladministration or human rights breaches.
“As of January 2026, there remained a cumulative backlog of 669 complaints carried over from previous years, which were resolved beyond the standard five-month timeframe, compared to 979 in the previous year. From this backlog, 317 complaints were completed, yielding a resolution rate of 47.4% for the carried-forward cases.”
Nyatanga also reported that the Ombudsman made a total of 59 recommendations to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) during the 2025/2026 financial year. Of these, only 11 have been implemented, corresponding to an implementation rate of 18.6% by the end of January 2026.
“The total caseload for the 2025/2026 financial year, encompassing new cases and those carried forward from previous years, reached 2,167. Out of these, 885 cases were completed, representing an overall resolution rate of 40.8%, a modest increase from 40.2% the year before.”
He emphasized that these figures demonstrate a gradual improvement in the Office of the Ombudsman’s case resolution rate, though the target benchmark remains unmet.
Nyatanga attributed the shortfall partly to delayed or absent responses from MDAs. “In many instances, investigations conclude, but the closure of cases is hindered by delayed or non-implementation of corrective actions.”
Currently, the office employs 38 legal investigators to fulfill its core mandate. Nyatanga noted this staffing level poses a challenge given the expanding scope of responsibilities, which now extends beyond investigations.
“The Ombudsman’s functions include educating the public on maladministration and human rights, advising the government on the ratification and implementation of human rights treaties and conventions, and assisting in monitoring, addressing, and reporting on human rights issues both nationally and internationally.”
He added, “Furthermore, the Office collaborates with civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and regional and international bodies to promote human rights and conduct research.”
Addressing longstanding concerns about delays by ministries and departments in responding to Ombudsman cases, Nyatanga said, “The office has resorted to exercising its power of subpoena to compel attendance.”
He concluded, “There is a deliberate effort to engage all Heads of Department on principles of good public administration, best administrative practices, and adherence to human rights norms and standards, while closely monitoring their compliance.”