Aryampa Brighton, is a lawyer and Chief Executive Officer, Youth for Green Communities.

Environment Is More Than Just Mere Dustbin In Vehicles

By Aryampa Brighton The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) announced that effective April 1, 2023, they will start the enforcement of new fines and cash penalties for individuals and companies in breach of environmental standards. Dr Barirega Akankwasa speaking to the media on 7th February 2023 emphasized section 174 of the National Environment Act, 2019 which lays down an express penalty scheme that intends to deter non-compliance to environmental laws and to prevent environmental degradation through payment of monetary penalties. The express penalty scheme and other new penalties sound a success in the move to combat pollution and environmental degradation but these are just warnings that have been overtaken by events. The National Environmental Act was enacted in 2019 so anyone contradicting environmental standards must pay. NEMA is aware of the wetlands that have been destroyed not just in central metropolitan but nationally wide. NEMA has watched the destruction of…
Oil refinery project affected persons on Friday protested against the Ugandan judiciary’s failure to dispense them with justice.

Oil Project-Affected Persons Protest Over Delayed Justice

Households whose land in Hoima district was acquired for the Kabaale Industrial Park, commonly known as the oil refinery project, yesterday protested against the Ugandan judiciary’s failure to dispense them with justice. The protest took place in Hoima district. Those whose land was compulsorily acquired by TotalEnergies for the Tilenga Industrial Area in Buliisa district also held a protest against the judiciary. The protest took place in Buliisa district. The households filed cases in Uganda’s High Court and Court of Appeal in 2014 and 2021 respectively. The households sought court’s intervention to protect their right to receiving prompt, fair and adequate compensation that is provided for under Article 26 of Uganda’s 1995 Constitution. Unfortunately, since filing of the court cases, the people have never received justice. “Court was supposed to hear our case yesterday [February 9] but when we arrived at the Hoima High Court, we were informed that our…
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The government has officially concluded the acquisition of the land which will accommodate a main camp and a pipe yard with each labour camp estimated to host 1, 000 workers.

Govt acquires 47 acres of land for EACOP labor camp

By Busiinge George The government has acquired a 47-acre piece of land in Kasambya village, Katikara sub-county, Kakumiro district where one of the four labour camps will be established during the construction of a 1,443-kilometer East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) The government has officially concluded the acquisition of the land which will accommodate a main camp and a pipe yard with each labour camp estimated to host 1, 000 workers, including construction crew- welders, drivers, foremen and ICT specialists among others On 24th of January this year, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, handed over an operation license to the Managing Director of the EACOP Company Limited, Martin Tiffen. Tiffen, while speaking during the commissioning of the acquisition of the said land, said this signals the start of the construction of the project since 68% out of 3,648 project-affected persons were compensated in Uganda…
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There is an urgent need to develop policies so that, in the next few years, the emission of carbon dioxide and other highly polluting gasses can be drastically reduced

Climate Activists Seek Pope's Support In Calls To Halt Oil & Gas Exploration In DRC

Climate activists are deepening calls for a halt to plans for oil and gas exploration in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and seeking the Pope's support in this, as he embarks on a visit to the country. The activists have been opposing oil exploration activities in the Virunga National Park, Africa's oldest national park, as well as the recent plans by the government to auction oil and gas blocks, some of which fall in sensitive areas in the DRC. They cite the grave risks posed by oil exploration activities to the environment, endangered species of wildlife, and the livelihoods of local communities. Pope Francis, who is on a 4-day visit to the country, is an advocate for environmental justice who has been consistent in calling for urgent climate action, the abandonment of fossil fuels and a transition to renewable energy. Bonaventure Bondo, Climate activist in Kinshasa, DRC said: "We are…
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The SEFA grant will support the creation of an enabling environment for Electric vehicles (EVs), the design of EV business models and guidelines for the public and private sector

Seven African Countries To Benefit From AfDB Energy Fund

The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) of the African Development Bank Group will provide a $1 million technical assistance grant to the Green Mobility Facility for Africa (GMFA). GMFA provides technical assistance and investment capital to accelerate and expand private sector investments in sustainable transport solutions in seven countries: Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. The SEFA grant will support the creation of an enabling environment for Electric vehicles (EVs), the design of EV business models and guidelines for the public and private sector, the development of a bankable pipeline of e-mobility projects, regional coordination, and knowledge-sharing amongst other upstream activities to help catalyse follow-on private sector financing during the subsequent investment phase of the GMFA. "Mobility is a fundamental lifeline that connects people to critical services, jobs, education, and opportunities," said Nnenna Nwabufo the Director-General of the Bank's East Africa Regional Development and Business…
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Museveni has today launched an oil rig operated by CNOOC Uganda Limited in Kikuube district.

Museveni Launches Oil Drilling For CNOOC’s Kingfisher Oil Field

By George Busiinge President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today launched an oil rig that is meant to drill the crude oil from underground. The ceremony took place in Buhuka Parish, Kyangwali Sub County, in Kikuube District. Different dignitaries from Uganda, Tanzania and China attended. The construction of the oil rig began late last year; marking the beginning of the country’s oil journey that is expected to last for over 25 years. As the chief guest, Museveni congratulated the country for reaching such a milestone. He has further asked the people of Bunyoro to look into agriculture in order to tap into the oil Industry. He has however asked people to stop cutting forests especially Bugoma forest which he says has been depleted. The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa, has revealed that they have fulfilled all international requirements to make sure that the oil industry is a…
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The trees planted were delivered by the Plantations Director of the National Forestry Authority Stuart Maniraguha.

20, 000 Trees To Be Planted Around Kingfisher Oilfield

By George Busiige Luwero Industries Limited intends to plant over twenty thousand trees around Kingfisher Oilfield in Kyangwali Sub-County in Kikuube District. The exercise was launched by Major General Sabiiti Muzeyi the General Manager of Luwero Industries Limited with the planting of over One Thousand Trees at the ongoing construction site of the Drilling, Waste Treatment and Disposal Facility Plant for the Kingfisher Oilfield. The trees planted were delivered by the Plantations Director of the National Forestry Authority Stuart Maniraguha. Luwero Industries Limited, which is a Subsidiary of the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the commercial arm of the Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs was contracted to manage waste that will be accumulated from the drilling of crude oil from Kingfisher Oilfield run by CNOOC Uganda Ltd. Major General Sabiiti Muzeyi says as the army anticipates hitting their target in a period of two years adding that the trees planted…
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Bernard Ongodia, the Principal UPIK

UPIK Set To Train Technicians for Tilenga Oil Project

By George Busiinge Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba (UPIK) will this year start training and carrying out a competency assessment of 201 potential oil production operators, maintenance and inspection technicians slated to work in the Tilenga Oil Project. Bernard Ongodia, the Principal UPIK, who was speaking over the weekend in Kiryandongo District during the commissioning of the institute’s new state-of-the-art facilities and training equipment noted that they have already signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tilenga oil Project operator, TotalEnergies E&P Uganda. According to the arrangement, students in this cohort will study for three years; starting with receiving instruction from staff members employed by the institute. Later, they will receive training from both local staff and expatriates working in the oil fields and will also be sent for a year of off-shore training. To Ongodia, this partnership will propel the educational institution to new heights by exposing their staff and…
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President Museveni at UPIK for the commissioning ceremony of the Institutes training facilities.

Petroleum Institute Gets Museveni’s Backing To Reach Full Potential

President Yoweri Museveni has asked Uganda Petroleum Institute – Kigumba (UPIK) to present its full development plan because the government has the money to support it. The President made the call while commissioning new infrastructure projects undertaken by the institute on Saturday. UPIK, with funding from the World Bank and the government of Uganda, undertook a $32m infrastructure development including staff houses that the president commissioned. “I really want to tell you that the problem here is bad planning by the overall government structure because this money that we are talking about, the $32 million which has been invested is not such a big amount of money given the importance of Kigumba Petroleum Institute,” the President said. He said Government should plan well and prioritise investing in lucrative projects that will generate billions of dollars for the country in a few years to come. “The question is how many oil…
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To Stop Or To Support Eacop

To Stop Or To Support Eacop

In recent times, most especially after the signing of the Final Investment Decision (FID) in February this year, government agencies and personalities intensified efforts to promote, protect and make a case for Uganda's premier oil and gas infrastructure project, the East African Crude Pipeline. A campaign codenamed Support EACOP was rolled out to counter Stop EACOP, a campaign which over the years has been traded by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that look at the $3.5bn Pipeline as a climate change facilitator by potentially emitting over 34 million tons of CO2 emissions every single year. According to revised plans, the Pipeline construction is scheduled to start in 2023 and be ready in 2025 when Uganda will realize First Oil. The 1444km pipeline will carry crude oil from Hoima in western Uganda to the Tanzanian port of Tanga where it will be shipped to the international market. The EACOP project developers are…
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