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Drama as breastfeeding mothers, youth protest against EACOP in Hoima
Anti-EACOP protestors at Kitara SS in Hoima City on August 26, 2024. PHOTO/BILL OKETCH
What you need to know:
- In their petition, the PAPs demand environmental conservation, and that the “EACOP project should be stopped immediately in the Albertine region.”
Drama ensued when hundreds of project affected persons (PAPs) gathered in Hoima City on Monday protesting against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project saying it risks causing “severe wide range impacts.”
Over 150 petitioners, among them breastfeeding mothers, youth and elderly persons from oil rich Hoima, Buliisa and Kikube districts first converged at the government aided Kitara Secondary School, over 1km from central Hoima City as they plotted protesting to the regional EACOP offices.
However, the peaceful PAPs were surrounded by heavily armed police and UPDF soldiers who foiled the protest. Similar protests had been staged in Kampala, leading to arrests of several demonstrators on Monday.
Hoima Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Badru Mugabi said security stormed Kitara SS after getting intelligence-led information that there were people planning to demonstrate against EACOP and TotalEnergies.
“Remember that you were here in April [2024] and I had a discussion with you, where you handed a petition to me to take to the chief judge,” the RCC said.
“I received this letter and delivered it to the resident judge for onward mailing to the chief judge. I’m very sure this letter with your concerns was received and your concerns are being addressed,” he added.
Hoima RCC Badru Mugabi addresses anti-EACOP protestors at Kitara SS in Hoima City on August 26, 2024. PHOTO/BILL OKETCH
Christopher Opio, a representative for the PAPs informed the RCC that they had not received any response from government.
“So, we decided to say we can again put our concerns in writing. Today, we were taking our petition to the offices of EACOP, and Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) peacefully,” Opio added.
Mugabi responded saying: “If you have a court case and the court has not heard you, please come to our offices. We shall put these courts to order, or we shall appeal to their supervisors. But walking to these offices will not change the status quo legally.”
Later, Mugabi selected a few PAPs’ representatives and escorted them to deliver their petition to the offices of EACOP and PAU while the rest of the aggrieved locals were left at Kitara SS under tight security.
In their petition, a copy of which this publication has seen, the PAPs demand environmental conservation, and that the “EACOP project should be stopped immediately in order to grant ample time for their grievances to be properly understood and meaningfully addressed.”
They also want an immediate end to the arrest and harassment of grassroots environmental and human rights defenders against the multi-billion-shilling project.
