Police in the Kampala Metropolitan Area on Monday arrested six environmental activists who attempted to deliver a petition to TotalEnergies offices, calling on the company to withdraw from oil infrastructure projects in Uganda and instead invest in renewable energy.
The activists, affiliated with the pressure group Rooted in Resistance, were identified by police as Albert Oguti, Julius Kagonde, Joseph Epwaat, Paul Ilukor, Ronney Nayumba, and Eric Ssekande.
According to police, the group was part of a larger procession of more than 50 people who marched toward TotalEnergies’ head offices along Yusuf Lule Road before being intercepted by security personnel. The confrontation led to the dispersal of the group, with six individuals taken into custody.
Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed the arrests, saying investigations are ongoing.
“Police at Wandegeya arrested six individuals in connection with a planned unlawful demonstration within Kampala. They are accused of mobilising and preparing to participate in activities likely to incite violence and disrupt public order,” he said.
He added that no injuries or property damage were reported during the incident, and that the suspects are expected to be arraigned in court.
The activists’ petition accuses TotalEnergies of continuing to support the Tilenga and East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) projects, despite growing global concern over fossil fuel investments. It argues that Uganda’s increasing reliance on oil-related borrowing risks deepening the country’s debt burden while exposing communities to environmental and social harm.
“The projects promise only to deepen the climate crisis, exacerbating droughts, floods, and extreme weather events that disproportionately affect African communities,” the petition states.
It further alleges that thousands of people have been displaced from their ancestral land with inadequate compensation under ongoing land acquisition and resettlement programmes.
Speaking at Wandegeya Police Station, activist Doreen Namala criticised the arrests, accusing authorities of suppressing lawful expression.
“They were arrested for simply exercising their right to deliver a petition. Efforts to secure a police bond were unsuccessful without clear justification, and they have not yet been presented before the court,” she said.
Namala also questioned what she described as inconsistencies in the justice system, arguing that more serious offenders are often granted bail more quickly than activists.
The arrests come just days after the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court sentenced eight environmental activists to 11 months in prison on charges of public nuisance.
About EACOP
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is a major export infrastructure project designed to transport crude oil from Kabaale in Hoima District to the Chongoleani Peninsula near Tanga Port in Tanzania.
Spanning 1,443 kilometres — including 296 km in Uganda and 1,147 km in Tanzania — the pipeline is expected to carry up to 246,000 barrels of crude oil per day upon completion.
Project developers indicated in March 2025 that construction had reached 55 percent, with projections that oil transportation could begin by 2026.
Estimated to cost about $5 billion, EACOP is being developed by a consortium that includes TotalEnergies, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), and the Tanzania Development Corporation (TDC).
