By Witness Radio team.
Masaka, Uganda- Project-Affected Persons (PAPs) in Lwengo, Rakai, and Kyotera districts are sounding the alarm over what they perceive as judicial bias and procedural irregularities. The High court in Masaka has issued eviction and demolition orders in favor of the government of Uganda, adding an urgent tone to the plight of these individuals who are fighting to protect their land from being cleared for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project.
The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is a 1,443-kilometer-long pipeline that will transport crude oil from Hoima in western Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania.
On August 27, 2025, Justice Victoria Nakintu of the Masaka High court granted the government eviction and demolition orders against more than ten households, some headed by women, the elderly, and the sick. These are the very people who are most affected by the EACOP project, and the ruling has significantly disrupted their lives. This is after the government filed a new case on August 14, 2025, seeking eviction and demolition orders against 11 of the 80 people it sued in August 2024.
It is worth noting that in August 2024, the Attorney General of Uganda filed a case against 80 individuals who had refused to vacate their land for the EACOP project. Their resistance was driven by several factors, including inadequate compensation, untitled land, and unresolved land disputes where a competent court had not determined rightful ownership..
Two months later, in October 2024, the High court ruled in favor of the government, allowing it to deposit compensation into court accounts and proceed with evictions.
While the government argued that the evictions were necessary to secure land for the multi-billion-dollar project, the PAPs say the ruling was rushed and procedurally unfair. They accuse Justice Nakintu of bias, citing her off-the-record remarks that “such projects serve the public good and cannot be stopped by individuals,” and her admission that she, too, had been compensated as an affected person. This perceived bias has only added to the sense of injustice felt by the PAPs.
The ruling came just days after the same court failed to hear two urgent applications seeking to halt execution orders in an appeal case that had been filed by seven of the EACOP-affected families. On August 18, 2025, the hearing did not proceed because the case files mysteriously went missing.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. It is disheartening that the judiciary, which should protect our rights, is instead playing games with vulnerable people’s lives,” said Mr. Cosmus Yiga, one of the PAPs. The ruling has left the affected families in a state of uncertainty and fear, unsure of their future and the fate of their homes.
The disappearance of files is described as “troubling and suspicious,” noting that affected families have already waited over eight months for a fair hearing. The missing files contained crucial evidence and legal documents, raising questions about the court’s transparency and efficiency.
Immediately after the 27th August ruling, the PAPs filed a formal complaint with the Chief Justice and the Inspector of Courts, accusing Justice Nakintu of gross unfairness and misconduct. They requested an independent investigation into the missing files and the judge’s conduct.
Through the complaint, the affected people called on the Chief Justice and Inspector of Courts to conduct an independent investigation into the disappearance and sudden reappearance of their case file; undertake a review of the conduct and impartiality of Justice Nakintu; and institute disciplinary action against any judicial officer or court staff found to have acted in a way that undermines due process and fairness for the affected people.
“We were not surprised by the ruling, as the judge had demonstrated bias. However, the judiciary shouldn’t allow some judges to tarnish its reputation. We hope that the Chief Justice and Inspector of Courts will investigate and hold her accountable,” said Mr. Wilberforce Sebuliba, one of the PAP leaders.
AFIEGO’s Chief Executive Officer, Dickens Kamugisha, called the ruling unconstitutional, warning that it sets a dangerous precedent of seizing private land before fair compensation is settled.
This is not the first time the judiciary has been accused of siding with the government on EACOP-related cases. In October 2024, Justice Lawrence Tweyanze ruled against the PAPs, allowing the government to deposit compensation into court accounts while simultaneously granting eviction and demolition orders.
Although the families appealed, procedural delays have adversely affected their case, and now, the same court has authorized the government to proceed with eviction and demolition, deepening fears among communities that judicial independence is being compromised in favor of powerful state and corporate interests.
