Ugandan police on Wednesday apprehended nine environmental activists in the heart of Kampala as they attempted to stage a peaceful protest against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), spotlighting growing tensions between environmental groups and corporate financiers backing the controversial oil project.
The demonstrators, many of whom are university students affiliated with the youth-led group Students Against EACOP Uganda, had gathered outside the Kampala branch of KCB Bank in a bid to deliver a petition demanding the bank halt its financial involvement in the $5 billion pipeline project. The petition, addressed to the bank’s executive leadership, called for an immediate withdrawal of support, citing environmental degradation, human rights concerns, and reputational risks associated with the project.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango confirmed the arrests and stated that the nine individuals were detained at Kira Road Police Station. “They will be charged with public nuisance,” Onyango said. “We remind the public that all public gatherings or processions must be approved by the Inspector General of Police.”
The arrested activists were identified as Mawanda Arafat, Kyosimire Joweria, Nakyambadde Theopista, Narwadda Shamim, Tamale Baker, Mutenyo Benard, Ojok Steven, Nalungu Habibu, and Nuwagaba Oscar.
According to sources familiar with the incident, the protest was non-violent, with activists carrying placards and attempting to hand over a letter to Ms. Agnes N. Mayanja, Executive Director of KCB Bank Uganda. The letter strongly criticized the bank’s participation in the financing of EACOP, which is being developed to transport crude oil from western Uganda to the Tanzanian port of Tanga.
“With urgency, we demand that KCB Bank rescind its support for EACOP and publicly distance itself from a project that threatens our environment, displaces communities, and endangers future generations,” the petition reads. It further accuses KCB Bank of ignoring ground realities in Uganda and Tanzania, where activists and landowners have reportedly faced intimidation and eviction.
The demonstration comes just weeks after EACOP Ltd announced the successful closure of a financing round with backing from five African and Middle Eastern banks, including South Africa’s Standard Bank, Stanbic Bank Uganda, Afreximbank of Egypt, and KCB Bank Uganda Ltd—a move that has sparked backlash from climate advocates.
The EACOP project, a joint venture between French oil major TotalEnergies (62%), Uganda National Oil Company (15%), Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (15%), and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (8%), will construct a 1,443-kilometre pipeline, making it the longest heated crude oil pipeline in the world.
Activists say the project is marred by forced evictions, loss of livelihoods, and severe environmental consequences. Civil society groups have also raised alarms over suppressed dissent and shrinking civic space in both Uganda and Tanzania. However, government officials maintain that the project is legal, compliant with environmental standards, and vital to national economic development.
This is not the first time the student group has mobilized against EACOP financiers. Earlier this year, similar protests were held outside Stanbic Bank, where demonstrators voiced similar demands.
As Uganda pushes ahead with oil production targets, opposition from youth-led climate groups and civil society continues to mount. International environmental watchdogs have also flagged EACOP as a major contributor to future carbon emissions and ecosystem damage.
Despite the arrests, the protesters say their resolve remains firm. “We will not be silenced. The future of our planet is at stake,” one activist told The Daily Nile before being led away by police.
