“Fair trial violations in Uganda’s crackdown on environmental and climate activism against the EACOP and other oil and gas projects”, 29 May 2026

The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) connects Uganda’s Tilenga and Kingfisher oil fields to Tanzania’s Tanga port and has generated sustained civil society opposition since 2013. This report examines more than 25 criminal cases brought against protesters, documented by Youth for Green Communities (YGC) since 2022. The analysis drew on charge sheets, trial monitoring, defender interviews, and credible public sources. It finds that Ugandan authorities have responded to peaceful environmental protest with a systematic pattern of repression. Arrests have been conducted on a mass and indiscriminate basis — from groups of four to 47 individuals — without individualized assessment of wrongdoing. Protesters are routinely charged under vague colonial-era offenses such as “Common Nuisance”, “Nuisance on the Road”, and “Incitement to Violence” for peaceful conduct including holding placards, marching, and delivering petitions. Many cases are ultimately dismissed for want of prosecution, often after proceedings lasting one to two years. Pretrial detention — including in maximum security prison — has lasted up to 85 days in non-violent cases, functioning as a tool of intimidation rather than a measure of last resort.

Recent developments signal an escalation. In April 2026, eight of 12 activists arrested for peaceful protest (the “Stanbic 12”) —who spent nine months in custody during trial, having being denied bail countless times— were convicted and sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment, a significant departure from earlier cases dismissed for lack of evidence. These practices violate Uganda’s Constitution and its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR), and the United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT), including rights to expression, peaceful assembly, fair trial, and participation in environmental decision-making.

The report recommends that Ugandan authorities immediately cease arresting and prosecuting individuals for peaceful protest, reform policing of assemblies, and withdraw abusive charges. Parliament should amend vague public order offenses. Courts should apply strict scrutiny to protest-related cases, and grant bail as a matter of course. Corporate actors and financial institutions involved in EACOP should conduct enhanced human rights due diligence and publicly oppose repression. Regional and international bodies should sustain scrutiny and support accountability.