By the Witness Radio Team

Hoima, Uganda — On May 7, the European Union marked 50 years of partnership with the Government of Uganda during the Europe Day 2026 celebrations in Kampala, attended by EU members, Ugandan officials, development partners, and diplomats.

It’s reported that over the past five decades, the EU has invested EUR 5 billion in development support, alongside a similar amount of European private investment. This partnership progressed to engagements in trade, investment, energy, climate action, education, health, and humanitarian support.

Focusing on sustainable growth of the EU’s support, part of the celebrations involved a visit to the Albertine oil graben by the EU delegation, with several ambassadors from EU countries, to reflect on the ongoing transformations in oil and gas projects in the Albertine region and on the EU’s commitments to its development ambitions.

During the visit on May 19 2026, the EU delegation engaged selected Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs) from Uganda’s oil-rich Albertine region who are beneficiaries of the Monitoring, Documentation and Advocacy for Human Rights in Uganda (MDA-HRU) project. The project is being implemented by Witness Radio Uganda and the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders Uganda (NCHRD-U), in partnership with DanChurchAid and funded by the European Union. Besides, the Delegation visited several oil and gas projects and surrounding communities.

The visit concluded on May 20 2026, with a dinner at Hoima City Stadium, attended by Several EU country ambassadors, Hoima Local Government authorities, Hoima City officials, development partners, and Civil society organizations. Addressing the guests, H.E. Jan Sadek, European Union Ambassador to Uganda, noted the large-scale and importance of the oil and gas developments in the mid-western region of Uganda, but also acknowledged the complex social, environmental, and human rights issues that come with such investments.

“The future is already unfolding quickly. Today we were in Buliisa with TotalEnergies and its partners, learning more about one of the largest industrial energy projects in East Africa,” Sadek said.

He thanked TotalEnergies, its General Manager Philippe Groueix, and the company’s staff, praising what he described as their openness and hospitality during the visit.

“What we saw was very impressive in scale and ambition. We visited the Tilenga Central Processing Facility and oil rigs both inside and outside Murchison Falls National Park, and saw efforts to reduce the project’s footprint in the area. These developments are very significant for Hoima and Buliisa, and for Uganda and the wider region.” He added.

Sadek also pointed to Europe’s growing economic ties with Uganda, noting that European firms remain among the country’s largest foreign investors.

“TotalEnergies is not just a major investment in Uganda, but also part of the broader economic relationship between Europe and Uganda. The European Union remains one of Uganda’s biggest export markets outside the region and a long-standing development partner,” he further said.

Challenges amidst oil and gas developments

However, alongside the praise for the sector’s economic potential, land and environmental defenders raised concerns over escalating land pressure, delayed compensation, environmental degradation, and shrinking civic space linked to large-scale oil investments.

The concerns were raised during a European Union feedback and engagement meeting held on May 19 at Miika Eco Resort Hotel in Hoima District. The session brought together land and environmental rights defenders, project partners including Witness Radio Uganda, and European Union representatives to review project progress and assess emerging human rights concerns.

Defenders told the EU delegation that oil-related developments have intensified land pressure in the Albertine region through projects associated with Uganda’s petroleum sector, including the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), Tilenga, and Kingfisher projects.

Participants reported prolonged delays in compensation for households whose land has been acquired or earmarked for oil-related projects, leaving many families facing prolonged uncertainty and livelihood insecurity.

“People are being affected by delayed compensation processes. Some have even rejected the compensation, saying it is too low, even though their land has already been taken. When people raise complaints, they face intimidation,” Gloria Mugonzebwa, one of the defenders, told the Delegation.

Beyond land concerns, defenders raised alarm over increasing human-wildlife conflict, which they linked to ongoing oil exploration and infrastructure development in and around protected ecosystems, including national parks.

They said disturbances associated with construction activities, industrial lighting, forest encroachment, and vibrations have contributed to wildlife displacement into neighboring communities.

Environmental organizations such as the Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) have previously raised similar concerns, warning that oil activities, climate change, and poaching are reshaping ecosystems in Murchison Falls National Park.

In its 2024 report, How Oil Activities, Climate Change, and Poaching Are Negatively Reshaping Murchison Park, AFIEGO documented that between 2023 and 2024, more than five people were killed in elephant-related incidents, highlighting growing human-wildlife tensions around the park.

Participants also raised concerns over environmental degradation linked to oil development, including deforestation, forest encroachment, and alleged risks of water contamination in affected communities.

“These developments are changing the natural balance. Communities are now living with increased risks from displaced wildlife and environmental disruption,” Nyakato Hellen said.

Uganda has also witnessed the shrinking of civic space for community land and environmental defenders, particularly those questioning the impacts of mega-development projects.

Defenders who attended the meeting said it has become increasingly difficult to document and raise concerns about land and environmental abuses linked to oil investments.

“As activists, the biggest issue has been intimidation, and some defenders have been arrested in the course of their work,” Mr. Biira Kiwanuka Nassa revealed.

Global Witness reported in 2024 that more than 96 arrests linked to environmental activism against oil development activities in Uganda were recorded within only nine months, illustrating the scale of restrictions faced by activists.

“We used to be arrested when we spoke about violations. We had to demonstrate for companies to listen,” one defender said.

Need for sustained dialogue.

In response, the European Union delegation emphasized the importance of sustained dialogue among governments, companies, civil society, and affected communities.

The Delegation acknowledged that large-scale projects, such as oil development, inevitably raise complex questions regarding land rights, compensation, environmental protection, biodiversity, and human rights.

“These issues deserve serious attention and continued dialogue,” the Delegation said.

The Delegation further stressed that inclusive development depends on communities being informed, respected, and meaningfully involved in decisions that affect them.

“Development works best when communities feel included, respected, and heard. That is why our program has included not only meetings with authorities and investors, but also discussions with civil society, community representatives, and local stakeholders,” the Delegation added.

About the MDA-HRU project

DanChurchAid coordinates the project in partnership with Witness Radio. It was designed to promote the protection and respect of human rights and strengthen access to remedy in Uganda’s Mid-Western and Karamoja sub-regions, where private sector actors are increasingly involved in land-based investments.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Christopher Kiwanuka, Director of Programs at Witness Radio, welcomed the EU delegation’s assessment mission, noting that it reflects growing recognition of the documentation work undertaken under the MDA-HRU project.

He said the project has strengthened the capacity of land and environmental defenders to document violations and engage duty bearers more effectively.

Uganda’s Mid-Western region remains among the areas most affected by land conflicts linked to large-scale investments, particularly oil development.

Since the discovery of oil in 2006, the sector has generated expectations of economic transformation alongside persistent concerns over displacement, environmental degradation, and unresolved human rights impacts in affected communities.