Four people detained for staging Oil pipeline protest

By Ben Musanje

11^th July 2023

At least four people are behind bars at the Central Police Station (CPS) Kampala following their arrest while marching to parliament in protest against the Oil Pipeline construction.

The four were among the group of people that earlier gathered around Mini Price in Kampala City with plans to demonstrate against the construction of the Oil Pipeline.

Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson says that the suspects were intercepted by the security since they had no police clearance to hold a demonstration.

He names the suspects as Bob Baligye (35years) a teacher and resident of Namuli Zone, Najjanankumbi in Rubaga division, Shamim Nalwadda (21years), resident of Mutundwe Rubaga division, Fiona Nalusiba (39) business lady and resident of Bulenga in Wakiso district, and also Zakaria Mutesi (35) resident of Bulenga.

Onyango says the suspects are being charged with inciting violence and though one of them has refused to make a statement claiming she is waiting for her lawyer, they will be aligned before the Courts of Law before the end of this week.

In October 2022, Uganda police detained nine people protesting against a planned crude oil pipeline, in an escalating crackdown on critics of the project opposed by environmentalists, activists and European Union lawmakers.

France’s TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) is the lead developer of the pipeline alongside China’s CNOOC and national petroleum firms of Uganda and Tanzania.

The pipeline, estimated to cost $3.5 billion, will run from Uganda’s oilfields in the western part of the country to a port on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast.

Environmentalists and rights activists have since mounted a campaign to stop the project which they say will displace tens of thousands of people and endanger fragile ecosystems in the region.

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