While in Bunyoro in Western Uganda recently, Uganda’s Vice President Major (Rtd) Jessica Alupo urged residents of the region to continue supporting investors and government-led development projects, saying Uganda’s oil and gas investments will create jobs, stimulate economic growth and transform the region.
Alupo made the remarks after leading a delegation of Cabinet ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies on a tour of the CNOOC-operated Kingfisher Development Area (KFDA) in Kikuube District and Kabaale Pump Station 1 in Hoima District, the starting point of the 1,443-kilometre East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) to the Port of Tanga in Tanzania.
She said the progress made across Uganda’s oil fields and related infrastructure demonstrates that the country is steadily advancing towards economic self-reliance and its ambition of attaining upper middle-income status.
“I know the people of Bunyoro support the government, and investors have not raised any concerns. They should continue embracing these projects because they offer development and employment opportunities for the region and the country as a whole,” Ms Alupo said.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said the ongoing investments in Bunyoro reflect the government’s commitment to transforming the region and improving livelihoods at individual, household and national levels.
She noted that the oil and gas developments have already delivered major infrastructure projects, including Kabalega International Airport, while paving the way for further investments such as the Hoima City Stadium, which will host matches during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
“Because of oil and gas, we got Kabalega International Airport, and because of the airport, we secured the stadium. With the stadium, many developments have followed. We thank the President and the government for recognizing the support we have always rendered. We are now on another level,” Ms Nabbanja
It’s however surprising that the views of high-ranking government official sharply contradicts with those of community members.
While interacting with communities in different areas, especially those affected by the East African Crude Pipeline, EACOP, community members raised a number of concerns that, if well analyzed, clear show a huge divide between what government thinks as progress and what the community has realized.
Ms.Fatuma Nalweyiso of Kikajjo village in Nabulembeko Parish Wattuba Sub County in Kyankwanzi district says the pipeline passed through our land and our graveyards were affected.
“We were promised compensation for those graveyards but that hasn’t happened. We appeal to government to come to our rescue”’, Nalweyiso explained.
Samuel Abedilembe of Kijumba village in Kabaale Sub County says compensation of affected person what poorly done.
“When it comes to compensations, we were poorly compensated. They did valuation of our property but when the report came out, we had the poorest rates. Our compensation wasn’t only little but it even delayed”, Mr. Abedilembe narrated.
Ms.AnnMary Kityo of Kikajjo in Kyankwanzi says that for those that were lucky to get compensation, they got it without any financial literacy skills and in the end it was misused.
“People were not educated on how effectively to use the compensation money. In the end, most misused it and caused more suffering,” explained Mrs. Kityo.
Ms. Theresa Bamuteze, an 82-year-old woman from Basangazi village, Nabulembeko parish, Kyankwanzi district, says her property was poorly valued but even getting the little that was approved has proved futile.
“I was promised 1,920,000 Uganda shilling but even getting it is proving to be futile. I have moved to every office but can’t get helped”, a seemingly desperate Bamuteze explained.
Gideon Akankwasa’s isn’t so different from that of Ms. Bamuteze. Akankwasa of Kijumba Village in Kabaale sub county Hoima district says the money they were given for their land couldn’t facilitate land acquisition of land elsewhere.
“If they gave you three million shillings for your acre of land, you would move to buy the same piece elsewhere and find it at eight million shillings” explained Mr. Akankwasa.
These and many more concerns are repeatedly being raised by community members but unfortunately government continues to show that all is well. Government has a lot to do to synchronize what they are view as benefits and what the community expects and views as benefits.
Delayed compensation remains a significant challenge for communities impacted by EACOP -project.
This was revealed during our community outreach in the EACOP project areas of Kyankwanzi Kikuube and Hoima where residents shared their struggles.
Ms. Theresa Bamuteze, an eighty two-year-old woman from Basangazi village, Nabulembeko parish, Kyankwanzi district, shared a heartbreaking story of how she still awaits compensation, despite officials having valued her properties for years now.
Theresa says she has made numerous engagements with EACOP officials, but all she is told is to wait, leaving her with uncertainty and a sense of being stuck.
“They valued all my land, my plantations but I still haven’t received my money. I’ve got my papers, everything is clear, but I’m still waiting. And when I try to follow up with officials, all I’m told is to wait”, Theresa said.
Theresa has now called on political leaders and the government to intervene in the matter. She’s urging them to step in and help resolve the issue of delayed compensation.
She however credited the Community Green Radio and National Association of Professional Environments (NAPE) for their tireless efforts to ensure the community gets justice.
Ssembatya Asuman chairperson Nabulembeko Parish in Wattuba Sub County, Kyankwanzi district stated that most of the residents are still waiting for compensation while a few who received payments are disputing the amounts and seeking revaluation.
He revealed that he constantly gets complaints from residents about delayed compensation, but when they try to follow up with EACOP officials, they’re told to wait.
Despite numerous complaints from affected residents, EACOP officials have remained silent about the situation and seem to have failed to give the necessary assistance.
The East African Crude oil Pipeline (EACOP) is a mega project that is intended to transport crude oil from Uganda’s Albertine region in Kikuube district western part of Uganda to Tanga port in Tanzania.
STORY COMPILED BY JOAN NANTEZA
On March 30 2026, at the Community Green Radio premises in Kiboga District, central Uganda, the National Association of Professional Environmentalists, NAPE launched the Forests and Wetlands restoration Promotion program.
The Program is aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems, promoting sustainable land use practices and enhancing community resilience to climate change according to David Kureeba, the Senior Programmes Coordinator Forests, Biodiversity and Climate Change at NAPE.
The Program will entail activities of tree planting, wetland restoration and environmental education in communities, learning institutions and on radio.
The launch was characterized by speeches calling for action especially tree planning accompanied by justification of the same. Lists of the benefits of tree planning were outlined by every speaker who got chance at the microphone.
“We need more trees to regulate our climate, protect our water sources and support agriculture. Without trees, we are exposing ourselves to drought, floods and soil erosion”: Henry Lubanjwa, the Assistant Resident district commissioner, RDC (Presidents representative in the district) for Kiboga explained at the event.
Buganda Kingdom representative at the function, the Sabawaali for Kapeke Parish, Mr. Johbosco Ssenyondo reechoed quite similar calls;
“We have a responsibility to protect our environment for future generations. Let’s work together to restore our forests and wetlands”, Ssenyondo said.
Well, these calls for action look more general to communities, leaders and other stakeholders. However, when looked at critically, the devastating consequences of failure to protect and conserve the environment falls on the home and the woman, traditionally, at least African, is the guardian of a homestead. This implicitly and explicitly implies she bears the most burdens of climate change and its effects.
Climate change acts as a risk multiplier, disproportionately affecting women, who often bear the brunt of environmental disasters due to existing gender inequalities.
Climate change Increases women’s Vulnerability to Disasters. Women and children are up to 14 times more likely to die during climate-induced disasters, partly due to restricted mobility and lack of access to early warning information. Most women are in rural areas and are under strict control and restriction of their husbands and thus chances of getting exposed to certain information are minimal or tending towards none.
Climate change is responsible for long periods of drought and excessively heavy rains the lead to food insecurity. Women face higher rates of food insecurity, with projections suggesting climate change could cause 47.8 million more women to face hunger compared to men. By 2050, 158 million more women and girls could be pushed into poverty, 16 million more than men and boys.
Extreme heat, pollution, and water scarcity increase health risks. Vector-borne diseases like malaria and Zika rise with temperatures, leading to higher rates of miscarriage, premature birth, and maternal complications.
As water and fuel become scarcer, women and girls must walk further to collect them, decreasing time for education and economic opportunities.
Disasters and displacement increase the risks of sexual violence and exploitation in crowded, unsafe, or temporary shelters. Drought-related economic stress is directly linked to higher rates of intimate partner violence.
Displacement and Education. Approximately 80% of people displaced by climate change are women and girls. In these contexts, young girls are often forced into early marriage, with 12 million girls married annually, a trend exacerbated by climate-driven poverty.
The aforementioned factors bring clearly into perspective the need for women to be involved in all efforts aimed at curbing climate change. Women are critical to climate action. Their unique,, localized knowledge regarding farming, seed storage, and resource management makes them key to building resilience in their communities. Investing in female empowerment and ensuring their representation in climate policies is considered essential to successful climate adaptation and mitigating the worst impacts of the crisis.
Forest Restoration & Wetland Promotion Program Is a community-based environmental initiative focused on reversing land degradation while promoting the value and sustainable use of natural ecosystems. It’s also a coordinated set of activities that do bring back trees and ecological health to degraded, deforested, or bare land. Wetland Promotion – Protecting existing wetlands and restoring damaged ones, while educating people on why wetlands matter for water, climate, and livelihoods. Forests and wetlands work together as a water system. Forests on hillsides slow rainwater, reduce erosion, and recharge groundwater. Wetlands in valleys filter that water, store it, and release it slowly into the aquifers.
Uganda loses approximately 122,000 hectares of forest land annually, with forest cover decreasing from 24% in the 1990s to roughly 13% recently. This is largely caused by Unregulated Logging and Timber Demand, Urbanization and Infrastructure Expansion, Weak Governance & Land Tenure Issues, Biomass Energy Demand, High Population Growth & Poverty, Agricultural Expansion among others.
Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests, with approximately 35% of global wetlands lost between 1970 and 2015. Driven by agricultural expansion, urbanization, and climate change, this rapid degradation threatens biodiversity and reduces critical carbon sinks, with the highest rates of loss occurring in developing nations. Nearly a quarter of remaining wetlands are in poor ecological condition. In Uganda, wetland coverage declined from roughly 15.5% in 1994 to approximately 8.9%–9.3% in 2024–2025. The major trends and drivers include; Rapid Urban and Industrial growth, encroachment, Institutional and Legal Weaknesses. Wetlands and forests don’t work in isolation. Their environmental services work in complementarity.
Communities affected by the East Africa Crude Pipeline, EACOP in Kiboga District in central Uganda are calling for more engagements with media practitioners about their plight.
Residents of Kibiga, Lwanda and Kimbejja villages in Kibiga Sub County say their engagements with Journalists of Community Green Radio have started attracting attention of stakeholders.
They Say their voices are heard far and while when they speak to the press.
Ssewanyana Charles of Lwanda Village says whenever their voices are heard over radio, leader usually call them for attention.
“Last month when our voices appeared on radio, our area councilor called us for a meeting”, Ssewanyana reported.
Ms. Sarah Nagirinya of Kimbejja says the voices of women can now go far and wide. Issues of rural women are starting to attraction and attention of leaders.
“There is growing recognition of the position of women and their contribution. As women, we are coming from far is matters relating to our position in society. There is even hope that we shall benefit from compensation of property affected by the EACOP”, Ms. Nagirinya narrated.
Community Green Radio, with support of partners, has been conducting community outreaches to capture salient issues affecting them, especially those affected by the EACOP.
There outreaches give an opportunity to communities to air their issues for amplification and generate attention for action from government and other stakeholders.
Community members affected by the East African Oil Crude Pipeline, EACOP in Kyankwanzi district central Uganda are preparing to petition President Yoweri Museveni over their concerns.These concerns range from delayed compensation, undervaluing of their property and cases of coercing during signing of compensation documents.
Mr. Museveni, who is also the chairperson of the ruling National Resistance Movement, NRM party, will be in Kyankwanzi on December 16 to canvass for votes for his re-election in the January 15 2026 presidential elections in Uganda.
Asuman Ssembatya, who is the NRM Party General Secretary in Kyankwanzi District, says local leaders have prepared a Memo that they will present to the president. He says issues affecting EACOP PAPs are part of the Memo.
“In our memo to the president, issues of people affected by EACOP are fully catered for. As a ruling party member and as a leader of the PAPs, I couldn’t let this opportunity pass without airing issues of my people”, Mr.Ssembatya asserted.
Mr. Ssembatya made the remarks while appearing on Community Green Radio show aimed at amplifying the voices of communities affected by the oil and gas infrastructure, the EACOP in particular.
Communities affected by the EACOP in Kyankwanzi are struggling to run families. Those who got compensation, it was insufficient to sustain them and those who are waiting for compensation are suffering since it has delayed.
Some affected people are so desperate and losing hope of getting their compensation.
Communities affected by oil and gas infrastructures are compensated after their properties are assessed and valued by government. Compensation rates are proposed and drafted by respective district local governments and approved by the chief government valuer. Affected communities have consistently complained of under valuation of their property and delay in compensation.
The EACOP, a USD 5 billion mega infrastructure project, will serve as a conduit for transporting Uganda’s crude oil from the Albertine Graben, starting at Kabaale in Hoima District, to Tanzania’s Tanga Port, where it will be shipped to international markets once completed.
According to the government of Uganda, as of 30th August last year, the EACOP had compensated 97% of Project Affected Persons (PAPs) in the country.
Community Green Radio (CGR) has been giving a voice to the project affected persons, PAPs, to demand for their rights by amplifying their voices
The community Green Radio has for over years provided a platform for communities affected by the oil and gas infrastructures, especially the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, EACOP.
On September 23 2025, a number of those affected by the pipeline were hosted again. The program was aimed at giving a platform to the affected persons to share their ordeals regarding the ongoing construction of the pipeline and how it relates to their social economic stand.
During the show, Byekwaso Sharif from Nabidondolo in Kyankwanzi district said the results of the oil development didn’t come as they expected. He expressed fear of intense suffering of people after misuse of their compensation.
“Delayed compensation is worrying me and other people of the impending suffering beyond what we have experienced. I call on government to think about us urgently”, he narrated during the show
Mr. Leo Sebufu reminded government of their pledge to transfer grave yards of those affected by the pipeline and that the community members are still waiting while Mr. Kisule Joseph wondered when land tittles that were taken away from the affected people would be returned since communities are living in fear of losing their land now that even local leaders deny knowledge of the whereabouts of those titles.
“We aren’t certain if we shall ever have out land titles back. It is even hard for one to look for a loan these titles used to act as collateral security”, Kisule explained.
Asuman Ssembatya, the parish chairperson for Nabulembeko Parish in Kyankwanzi district said as a leader he has been following on community issues resulting from displacement arising out of the EACOP. He added that as leaders on ground, they have found challenges in advocating for EACOP PAPs since some actor have blackmailed local leaders with a view of diving community members for their manipulation. He said no matter the situation, they will continue to advocate for the rights of PAPs so that they get the share of their compensation. He thanked NAPE f or all initiatives geared towards ensuring that communities are compensated and on time as provided for in the law. He pledged to continue pushing the cause for community to authorities at all levels.
Women in the Oil rich Albertine region of Western Uganda are calling for quick interventions to curb the increased cases of gender based violence in their areas.
During a one day community engagement meeting for the EACOP affected women in Buseruka sub country Hoima district, the women expressed fear over what they termed increased cases of Gender based violence against women.
“Women in this area are no longer living a dignified life. The more the oil related activities increases, the higher the cases of GBV against women. We appeal to the concerned to come to our rescue, explained Ms. Nyandera Mary of Nyakabingo village in Buseruka Sub County.
Women who attended the outreach meeting were from oil-rich Hoima and Kikuube Districts and where met as part of the efforts by the National Association of Professional Environmentalists, NAPE and Community Green Radio to give a voice to the vulnerable communities especially those affected by the EACOP.
Lucy Mbubi from Butimba in Kikuube district explained that after being compensated, families get into turmoil and men abandon homes.
“After getting money for compensation, most men abandon their home, shifted to trading centers and married young girls. They left after causing havoc including battering their wives”, she narrated.
The authorities seem overwhelmed by these cases of GBV. Margaret Ruhiigwa, the district women council chairperson, says the cases are too many.
“As you are trying to mediate one family, more cases emerge and you find yourself in a dilemma. We are appealing to government and partners to come and help us because women are suffering”, explained Mrs. Ruhiigwa.
She faulted government for building houses for the resettled persons in a camp design, causing discomfort among women occupants. Ruhiigwa said prior to relocation, people lived on widely spaced land.
“Women who once had privacy in their homes are now exposed to the entire camp community yet secrecy among them is paramount in their life. This is violence against women.”
The United Nations Population Fund says violence against women and girls is one of the most prevalent violations in worldwide. UNPF estimates that one in three women worldwide will experience physical or sexual experience in her life.
The United Nations Development Programme, UNDP says, globally, 35 percent of women have experienced sexual harassment. UNDP works with executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, security agencies, public prosecutors, women’s groups, civil society organizations and movements, private sector, traditional, community and religious leaders to end GBV.
Community members affected by the East African Oil Crude Pipeline, EACOP in Kyankwanzi district central Uganda are in dire need for food for their families.
Annamary Kityo from Kikajjo village in Nabulembeko parish, Watubba Sub County in Kyankwanzi District says community members didn’t plant food crops since they were stopped from using the land. According to Mrs. Kityo, the situation has been exacerbated by the delay in compensation money plus the long dry spell.
“We were stopped from cultivating on our. We hoped to get compensation in time so that we can get land where to cultivate but money hasn’t come. The dry season has been on for long and therefore we can’t find even where to buy food from”, she narrated to Community Green Radio
Jane Namusiisi of Half London village in the same parish and district says house wives are finding difficulty in sustaining homes.
“You wake and look for what to serve your children and you can’t find anything. It is completely hard to run a home now”, she explained.
David Seremba, a resident of Kikajjo says as heads of families are struggling to run families. He says those who got compensation, it was insufficient to sustain them. He adds that those who are waiting for compensation are suffering since it has delayed.
“How do you expect me to run my home when you stopped me from using my land?; He wondered.
Asuman Ssembatya, the LC III for Nabulembeko parish affirms the tough situation community members affected by the EACOP project are going through. Mr. Ssembatya says some affected people are so desperate and losing hope of getting their compensation.
“The situation is tough for our people. Many of those that were compensated are crying after the money they got is over. A number of the affected residents are still waiting for their compensation and aren’t sure when it will come”, Ssembatya explained.
Communities affected by oil and gas infrastructures are compensated after their properties are assessed and valued by government. Compensation rates are proposed and drafted by respective district local governments and approved by the chief government valuer. Affected communities have consistently complained of under valuation of their property and delay in compensation.
The EACOP, a USD 5 billion mega infrastructure project, will serve as a conduit for transporting Uganda’s crude oil from the Albertine Graben, starting at Kabaale in Hoima District, to Tanzania’s Tanga Port, where it will be shipped to international markets once completed.
According to the government of Uganda, as of 30th August last year, the EACOP had compensated 97% of Project Affected Persons (PAPs) in the country.
Community Green Radio (CGR) has been giving a voice to the project affected persons, PAPs, to demand for their rights by amplifying their voices
National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) has launched a compendium on the dynamics of land acquisition for development in the global south with a call for a model of development that benefits local people.
The compendium, that was launched at Nican Resort Hotel on October 3rd, involves thematic topics on historical, ongoing and emerging land questions relating to how land is acquired for large land-based investments. It is a product of intellectual study group sessions on Land and Natural resource that NAPE has been convening since January 2023, comprising of Rosa Luxemburg Foundation partners in Uganda as well as other civil society actors, academicians, journalists and opinion leaders.
During the launch, the Executive Director, Mr. Frank Muramuzi noted that local people’s land is being grabbed in the guise of development by government and investors. He noted that globally, especially in African countries and Uganda in particular, a few powerful individuals both multinational and domestic acquire land that rightfully belongs to the local people for large plantations and extractive industry leaving the host communities impoverished.
Mr. Muramuzi said a people-centered model of development that fulfills human rights and protects the environment is urgently needed.
Mr. Richard Mugisha, a Researcher, argues that land titling is a new form of land grabbing that is being used by development actors to grab land. He said that there is a continuous push for individual land ownership and land titling as opposed to customary land ownership to make it easy for actors to grab land from individuals.
Mr. Mugisha noted that political elites have acted as an umbrella for the land grabbers hence making the communities suffer not only due to lack of knowledge in regards to their rights but also because the laws and policies do not cater for protection and reservation of these rights.
“Customary land that involves many people is hard to put in the market. But with a land title, one can easily be put to corner to easily sell,” said Mugisha
Mr. Muhamed Lunyango, a scholar at Makerere Institute of social research explained that with land titles, the land is being taken over forcefully by replacement, leasing or being bought cheaply in the name of development hence violating human rights of existence of the locals and right of the ownership of land. He said with individual ownership, one can easily be convinced to give away land at a cheaper price compared to when it’s a community living on the land customarily.
“Our focus should not be on ownership alone; whether a man or a woman owns land individually, but rather on whether the claims we have on a land as a collective- man, woman, and children- are protected. Because owning land as an individual makes us a target for land grabbers who have an assumption that those communities must let go of their land, for which they must accept the monetary equivalent of the same,” Mr. Luyango explains.
Mr. Joram Basiima, a resident of Kigaaga village in Hoima district said they are already experiencing land grabbing by development actors who pay them little money.
“In our communities, we are already experiencing land grabbing by carbon trading companies like Tree for Global benefits, New Forest Company and Green Resources among others, who make us sign documents we don’t understand and end up giving us little money and taking charge of the forest. They came into our communities of Kikuube and Hoima districts obtaining land from people who are living on the land adjacent the river line forest. They gave them some little money, 6 million shillings which could not even buy half an acre. And they were threatening people that they must sell to them or suffer a lot with government,” said Mr. Basiima.
It is on this note that Mr. Muramuzi called on communities to start collectively registering the land and also start processing their land titles as a community or a family to be able to protect themselves from land grabbers who take advantage of individual land ownership.
To read more about the compendium, follow this link: https://www.greenradio.ug/download/nape-compendium-report/
STORY COMPILED BY PRECIOUS NATURINDA AND ADRINE TWONGIRWE
The discovery of oil in Uganda, especially that of commercially viable deposits, came with need to establish infrastructure for the exportation and refining of the oil. The infrastructures include the oil refinery, the feeder pipelines, purified oil pipelines to Buloba, the EACOP and the oil road. All these infrastructures require land.
In the quest for land for these oil infrastructures, government of Uganda together with their partners, the oil companies embarked on the search for land. The process of land acquisition came with displacement of people since these developments are done land.
The process of relocation and compensation has come with several challenges that include; delayed compensation, forced relocation, inadequate financial literacy for the PAPs before compensation and undervaluation of people’s property
These issues have manifested themselves in Kiboga and Kyankwanzi where the East African Crude pipeline and multipurpose pipeline pass.
“We were not sensitized when issue of compensation came up. People were just bumped into and we made decisions out of fear and ignorance”, narrated Mr. Leo Sebuwufu of Lwanda in Kibiga sub county Kiboga district where the multipurpose pine line passes.
“People’s land was surveyed and locals were stopped from using their land in 2017. People fear to cultivate on their land and yet their money isn’t being paid. It should be also remembered that the value of land then was different from what it is today but people aren’t paid and no one knows when they will have paid,” explained Mr. Asuman Ssembatya, the parish chairperson for Nabulembeko Parish in Watubba sub county in Kyankwanzi District.
The concerns were raised during an engagement meeting on August 8, 2024, organized by the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) under sustainability school Programme.The meeting, that took place in Kiboga town, comprised of selected district council representatives, local leaders and project affected persons to discuss the compensation issues.
Ms. Sarah Nankya, the chairperson for Kyankwanzi District land board expressed willingness to work with stakeholders to ensure justice for all affected persons. Ms. Nankya however expressed disappointment with how those concerned with compensation, Strategic Friends International, conduct their issues. She said these officials are not easily accessible and never reach out to officials at the district.
“We shall work with these affected people to ensure all are compensated. Our challenge in that the agencies charged with compensation issues never reach out to us,” explained Ms. Nankya.
The facilitator of the meeting, Dr. Adolf Mbaine from Makerere University implored the community members to always be asserts on matters regarding their rights.
“The only way your issues can be heard and be acted upon by those in authority is by you speaking out loudly”, he told the meeting.
Frank Muramuzi, the NAPE Executive Director implored community members to be assertive in matters regarding their rights, especially the right to our property and in this case land.
“Always be ready to speak out on matters of your rights. The community Green Radio is a platform to advocate for your rights. And for you in public offices, always listen to the cries of the people,” explained Mr. Muramuzi.
The NAPE Board chairperson, Prof. Ephraim Lemi Nuwagaba pledged NAPE’s continued support to provide a platform for communities to express themselves.
“The only way those in authority will understand your issues, is by you speaking out. Let your voices be heard. Our pledge to you in that we shall continue providing a platform for you to express yourselves,” said Prof. Nuwagaba.
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