Buganda road court remands 10 environmental activists over an oil free economy.

KAMPALA

Court has today charged and remanded ten young activists campaigning for an oil free economy to Luzira maximum prison following their peaceful demonstration at parliament earlier this week in which they attempted to deliver a petition calling for Uganda to reconsider its oil-driven development strategy.

Affiliated with the youth-led movement called Rooted in Resistance, the activists appeared before the Buganda Road grade one magistrate’s court, Her worship Rophine Achayo on Tuesday, barely a day after they were arrested during march to Parliament.

The 10 accused persons were identified as Lucky Nyamadri, 20; Shakirah Kasoga, 24; Isaac Akampulira, 26; Daniel Mugabe, 23; Ivan Ochola, 25; Enock Opolot, 22; Sharifah Nantongo, 21; Dorothy Asio, 21; Rahma Namuddu, 20; and Sharon Shaluwatino, 23.

According to court, they broke Section 67(1)(c) of the Roads Act hence the charge  nuisance on a public road. The accused denied the allegations and were remanded to Luzira maximum prison, with their bail application scheduled for September 18th. This marks the latest confrontation between Ugandan authorities and a growing youth-led campaign challenging the country’s petroleum development agenda.

Allegations by prosecution state that while carrying placards, the accused, wearing orange T-shirts branded wih words rooted in resistance placed themselves on king George way road with intension to cause inconvenience to other users

The suspects who majorly include youths, students, artisans, and young entrepreneurs were charged with being a nuisance on road and remanded until 18th September when court will be ready for their bail hearing.

Another group of activists are still detained at Wandegeya police station from where they will be taken to court. The demonstrations were organised as a joint action, with activists attempting to reach both Parliament and the offices of TotalEnergies. With Police intervention, activists were arrested before the petitions could be delivered as intended.

The youth led movement rooted in resistance argues that Uganda should invest more heavily in sectors such as renewable energy, agriculture, manufacturing, technology and other productive industries capable of generating employment and economic opportunities beyond the lifespan of oil reserves.

The movement has described its campaign as a call for an oil-free economy, economic freedom and a just transition, arguing that Uganda’s natural resources should be managed in a manner that delivers broad-based prosperity rather than locking the country into long-term dependence on fossil fuels.

However, Ugandan government and oil-sector stakeholders like total energies have consistently defended petroleum development as an important opportunity for economic transformation, arguing that the sector can generate revenues, jobs, infrastructure and industrial growth.

EACOP, a 1,443-kilometre heated crude oil pipeline connecting Uganda’s oil fields in the Albertine region to Tanzania’s port of Tanga, remains a central component of that strategy and it is jointly owned by TotalEnergies, Uganda National Oil Company, China National Offshore Oil Corporation and Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation.