“Environmental activists decry delayed prosecution over EACOP protest” February 21, 2025

At least 20 environmental activists and Project Affected Persons (PAPs) who were arrested in August 2024 for protesting against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) construction are decrying delayed prosecution, which they claim is taking a financial and psychological toll on them. The frustrated suspects, who appeared at Buganda Road Chief Magistrates’ Court on February 18, expressed their disappointment to reporters outside the court premises. “This is the third time we are reporting here, but when our case is just adjourned because either the judge or the State prosecutor do not show up,” said Ms. Martha Amviko, one of the suspects… Mr Bob Barigye, another suspect, lamented the financial burden of facilitating their legal team while the State seems unconcerned about the case. It has become a habit of the Court to always set dates which they cannot commit to...

The court registrar adjourned their case to April 7, citing the magistrate’s leave, further angering the suspects. Their lawyer, Mr. Samuel Wanda, noted that the State Prosecutor has yet to provide the disclosure outlining the exact grounds of the accusations. “We believe leave is a planned thing… If we return in April when the disclosure is not around, we shall apply for case dismissal,” he said. Mr. Wanda expressed concern that the State’s failure to provide disclosure is a deliberate attempt to delay the case... The suspects were arrested in Kampala on August 26, 2024, while marching to the Energy Ministry to deliver a petition to Minister Ruth Nankabirwa, expressing concerns over the planned Eacop construction. The pipeline, set to transport crude oil from Hoima, Uganda, to Tanga, Tanzania, has faced opposition from environmental activists and local communities...