By Witness Radio team
A magistrate court in Hoima City, Mid-Western Uganda, has finally granted cash bails and released the seven cattlemen from Kapapi and Kiganja sub-counties facing criminal charge-stacking. The cattlemen are Oil Project Affected Persons (PAPs) because their land is to be used for the Tilenga oil feeder component project without following due process instead, they are orchestrating violence against the PAPS.
The Tilenga feeder pipeline corridor is approximately 95 km long and originates from the Tilenga Project Central Processing Facility (CPF), about 8 km northeast of Buliisa town in Buliisa District and 5 km south of the Albert Nile.
The purpose and the need for the Tilenga feeder pipeline, according to Total Energies, is to deliver crude oil to the planned refinery in Kabaale and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), as the Government nominee, holds a 15% participating interest in the Tilenga project, Total Energies E&P Uganda B.V., the operator, holds 56.67% while the other partner, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Uganda Limited holds 28.33% shares.
Since the project expressed interest in the communities’ land, several locals have arbitrarily been arrested and charged with multiple offenses before being thrown in jail.
Karongo Edward is facing two independent files containing criminal charges against him (i) malicious damage to property and (ii) criminal trespassing on the piece of land he has lived and cultivated for more than three (3) decades; Mulega Eria faces four independent files of criminal charges (i) malicious damage to property, (ii) threatening violence, (iii) criminal trespass, and (iv) theft; Kataza Samuel faces (i) malicious damage to property, (ii) threatening violence, (iii) criminal trespass and (iv) theft; Rangira Stephen faces (i) malicious damage to property, and (ii) trespass; Mbombo faces (i) two counts of threatening violence, (ii) two counts of criminal trespass and (iii) malicious damage to property while Rubyogo Edward faces (i) threatening violence.
Victims were granted a cash bail of one million shillings (1,000,000=) about 269.56 US dollars, on some charges three hundred thousand Shillings (300,000=) about 80.87 US Dollars while other charges, a victim was released on a cash bail of two hundred thousand shillings (200,000 UGX) about (53.91US Dollars). Each of their sureties was conditioned twenty million shillings (20,000,000 UGX) which is 5586.5 US Dollars and on other charges 10,000,000 UGX and 2,000,000 UGX respectively.
Some cattlemen have been on remand for over five months, while others have spent between four and three months in prison.
Arbitrarily arrests and imprisonment of cattlemen were followed by a violent and forceful land eviction of a larger community of 2500 people that have legally occupied and cultivated their land measuring 1294.99 hectares at Waaki North, Kapapi Central, Waaki South, Runga, and Kiryatete villages in Kapapi and Kiganja sub-counties in Hoima District since the 1950s, gazetted as public land.
Ever since the discovery of oil in the Albertine region of Uganda, many families that have voiced concerns arising from the negative impacts of the oil projects have faced unimaginable consequences ranging from forced displacements, constant violent and arbitrary arrests and imprisonment, torture, some women accuse companies’ workers of rape, whereas animals and other goods belonging to members of victim communities have been looted, among others.
The release of the cattlemen follows Witness Radio – Uganda’s intervention with its legal team to provide criminal defense to victims of irresponsible oil investment.
Court has fixed the 17th of July 2023 and the 15th of August 2023 to commence trials.
