EACOP project
Police in Kampala are holding nine people including University students on charges of inciting violence after staging an illegal protest over the the East African Crude Oil Pipeline – EACOP project.
The group donned gowns and marched with placards and banners to petition the European Union in support of the recent resolution passed by legislators to halt the project. However, they were intercepted by the Police and nabbed at Kingdom Kampala Building on their way to the EU offices at Crested Towers.
The EU Parliament recently voted and resolved that the pipeline is blocked over alleged gross human rights violations and environmental concerns.
Patrick Onyango, the spokesperson Kampala Metropolitan police says some of the suspects were paid to disguise as students and protest.
He adds that the organizers of the protest acted without proper police clearance.
The suspects are mainly student leaders from Makerere, Kyambogo and Makerere University Business School-MUBS.
In their petition, the protesters demand that the EACOP project is stopped until certain safeguards are implemented by the government to stop human rights violations. They also castigated the government for hiding relevant information on the multi billion oil deal from the public and Legislators.
John Solomon Nabuyanda says the deal has glaring irregularities and that it doesn’t systematically indicate those who have been compensated so far. He says there is lack of evidence indicating the working conditions of Ugandans employed on the pipeline.
“There is no member of parliament or minister with a full understanding of what is in that agreement. We want to know how many people have been compensated or displaced from their land, and the safety of Ugandans who will be working there. But you can’t get that information,” Nabuyanda said
EACOP project
Other protesters said Uganda National Student’s Association leaders couldn’t convince them in the recent protests, because they were also used as puppets to mobilize students in a protest supporting the project.
The 1,443km crude oil export pipeline will transport Uganda’s crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near Tanga port in Tanzania.
According to the agreed plan, the pipeline route will begin from Hoima through Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Gomba, Sembabule, Lwengo, Kyotera, and Rakai, and cross the Tanzania border between Masaka and Bukoba, and traverse Tanzania through Kahama, Singida, Kondoa, into Tanga.
Compiled by Minah Nalule.
