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“Our Trust is Broken”: Oil Pipeline Project Impoverishes Thousands

Published

3 years ago

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Summary

  •  “Our first meeting with Total they said, ‘Your standard of living will be elevated, you will no longer be poor.’   Now with the oil project starting, we are landless and are the poorest in the country.”
  • — A 48-year-old woman supporting seven children, whose land was acquired for the Tilenga oil project, March 2023

The East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is one of the most significant fossil fuel infrastructure projects currently under development globally, connecting the Tilenga and Kingfisher oilfields in western Uganda with the port of Tanga in eastern Tanzania. As planned, the Lake Albert Development Project will include hundreds of oil wells, hundreds of kilometers of roads, camps and other infrastructure, and a 1,443-kilometer pipeline, the longest heated crude oil pipeline in the world. An estimated 246,000 barrels of oil will flow each day for the projected 25 years of operation.

The first wells have been drilled in the two oilfields, infrastructure development is underway, and compensation under the land acquisition project along the pipeline corridor has been paid for 93 percent of impacted households according to TotalEnergies. In total, over 100,000 people in Uganda and Tanzania will permanently lose land to make way for the pipeline and Tilenga oilfield development, according to calculations based on project documentation.

French fossil fuel giant TotalEnergies is the principal company involved through its two East African subsidiaries, TotalEnergies EP Uganda, the operator for both EACOP and the Tilenga oilfields, and TotalEnergies East Africa Midstream. Other partners in the Tilenga oilfields (the “Tilenga consortium”) are the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) and the state-owned Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC).

EACOP is owned by a UK registered company EACOP Ltd, whose shareholders (the “EACOP consortium”) are the majority shareholder TotalEnergies EP Uganda, UNOC, the state-owned Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), and CNOOC.

Despite numerous public statements, policies, and plans from TotalEnergies and its subsidiaries to identify and mitigate negative impacts in the project, the situation on the ground for many families who are losing land is grim. Based on over 90 interviews that Human Rights Watch conducted in early 2023, including with 75 displaced families in five districts of Uganda, this report documents the devastating impacts on livelihoods of Ugandan families from the land acquisition process.

The land acquisition process has been marred by delays, poor communication, and inadequate compensation.

Read more: Human Rights Watch

Related posts:

CSOs urge banks and other IFIs not to finance E.Africa oil pipeline project…  ‘We cannot drink oil’: campaigners condemn east African pipeline project. Uganda, Total sign crude oil pipeline deal EACOP Was Anchored On Disinformation, Persons Affected By Pipeline Declare #StopEACOP campaign calls on Standard Bank to come clean about its funding of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline

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NGO WORK

1st Eastern Africa Indigenous Seed Conference 2026 | EA-ISC Nairobi

Published

3 weeks ago

on

June 8, 2026

By

The largest Indigenous Seed gathering in Eastern Africa is happening this November!

From 17th–20th November 2026, farmers, pastoralists, community seed banks, researchers, policymakers, civil society organisations, and development partners will gather at the Catholic University of Eastern

Africa (CUEA), Nairobi, Kenya for the 1st Eastern Africa Indigenous Seed Conference.

At a time when climate change, biodiversity loss, and shrinking access to locally adapted seeds continue to threaten our food systems, this conference will provide a much-needed platform to strengthen Farmer-Managed Seed Systems (FMSS), advance seed sovereignty, and ensure that farmers remain at the centre of the conversations and solutions shaping our food future.

There are many ways to be part of this historic gathering:

  • Register as a participant
  • Join the planning committees and help shape the programme
    -Organise a side event
  • Submit an abstract, story, video, audio piece, artwork, or research paper
  • Exhibit your work, innovations, products, or community initiatives
  • Support farmer and community participation
  • Partner with us as a sponsor or co-organiser

This is an opportunity to build a vibrant regional community of practice, strengthen collaboration, share knowledge, and amplify farmer voices across Eastern Africa.

Register for the conference: https://eaindigenousseedconference.org/registration-abstract

Join us in planning as a co organiser: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLSf6XOWaGnV…/viewform…

#indigenousSeedsEA2026 #SeedSovereignty #UnitedForLocalSeeds

Source: eaindigenousseedconference.org

Related posts:

The Indigenous Seeds movement in East Africa is convening in Kenya, with the potential to reshape the region’s food systems. Witness Radio and Seed Savers Network are partnering to produce radio content to save indigenous seeds in Africa. Seed Boot Camp: A struggle to conserve local and indigenous seeds from extinction. The Witness Radio and Seed Savers Network Joint Radio program boosts Farmers’ knowledge of seed and food sovereignty. Seed Sovereignty: Most existing and emerging laws and policies on seeds are endangering seed saving and conservation on the African continent.
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NGO WORK

UN Experts Put Tanzanian Government on Notice – “Ensure Transparency and Respect for Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Ngorongoro”

Published

2 months ago

on

April 23, 2026

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April 17, 2026 press release from the offices of eight UN Special Rapporteurs1 calls for the Tanzanian government to immediately publish the findings of two presidential commissions amid growing concerns over its eviction plans.
The communication echoes the Oakland Institute’s warning that these sham Presidential Commissions are being used to rubber-stamp eviction plans without the consent of the Indigenous community.
The strongly-worded communication from the UN Special Rapporteurs states that “these reports are of profound public interest and must be made available to the public without delay…Decisions affecting tens of thousands of Indigenous Peoples cannot be taken behind closed doors.” The experts furthermore urge “the Government to halt any actions that could lead to forced displacement, and engage in meaningful dialogue with affected communities,” while issuing a clear reminder that “Indigenous Peoples have a right to remain on their traditional lands if they so choose…Conservation efforts must not come at the expense of human rights.”
Impacted Maasai communities welcome this intervention from the UN Special Rapporteurs and reaffirm their commitment to defend their rights to remain on their ancestral lands.
To learn more about the struggle against Fortress Conservation, watch the interview: The Dark Side of “Conservation”
On Fox 5 DC Weekend Live, Julie Donaldson interviews Andy Currier, Oakland Institute’s Policy Analyst. Watch the discussion on fortress conservation and the human cost of climate solutions that displace Indigenous communities who best protect our biodiversity.
Watch the video

Source: oaklandinstitute.org

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The Oakland Institute Calls on the Tanzanian Presidential Land Commissions to Respect & Ensure Rights of Maasai Living in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Sham Presidential Commissions Rubber Stamp Tanzanian Government’s Efforts to Evict Indigenous Maasai from Ngorongoro Conservation Area Tanzanian Government’s Sustained Campaign Against the Maasai in Loliondo and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area URGENT ALERT: Tanzanian Government on a Rampage Against Indigenous People Call to Sever Ties with Tanzanian Government Over Latest Human Rights Abuses Against the Maasai
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NGO WORK

Two dead as Siaya protests against gold mining firm turn tragic

Published

3 months ago

on

April 7, 2026

By

Ikolomani residents protesting against eviction plan to pave space for British mining company Shanta Gold on November 12, 2025. Two people died in similar protests in Gem, Siaya County.  Isaac Wale | Nation Media Group

Two people were shot dead on Monday in Gem–Ramula, Siaya County, after villagers staged a protest over an alleged eviction they linked to Shanta Gold Kenya Limited.

Area police boss Charles Wafula confirmed the incident, stating that the victims were among a group alleged to have attacked a police post after the officers moved in to disperse the demonstrators.

According to Mr Wafula, the demonstrators, angered by what they described as an illegal resettlement by the company, stormed the station during the protest, prompting officers to intervene.

“The individuals had organised a demonstration but they did not notify the police. Our officers moved in to contain the situation, but the group began attacking both officers and Ramula Police Post, damaging several items, including vehicles,” Mr Wafula said.

However, a local rights organisation has sharply contested the police account, portraying the killings as unlawful and unprovoked.

In a statement, the Community Initiative Action Group Kenya said the two victims identified as Henry Otieno and Jack Omenda were part of a peaceful protest against what they termed a forced eviction from their ancestral land.

“The community had gathered peacefully to demonstrate against Shanta Gold Limited’s attempt to relocate them without their consent,” said the lobby’s Executive Director Chris Owalla.

The group further alleged that police officers opened fire without warning following a confrontation with residents at Ramula Market.

“Witnesses state there was an exchange between the community and police after which officers opened fire, killing Henry and Jack on the spot,” Mr Owalla said.

The rights group also accused senior police officers including Mr Wafula and Charles Emodo of Directorate of Criminal Investigation, of disregarding a court order that had halted evictions and mining operations in the area.

According to Mr Owalla, the Environment and Land Court in Siaya had, on February 5, 2026, issued conservatory orders barring any involuntary resettlement of residents in Ramula and its environs, pending the hearing of a petition.

The organisation is now calling for investigations by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and the the Director of Public Prosecutions, alongside an independent autopsy on the victims.

Fear of evictions

The unrest is rooted in long-standing tensions over planned gold mining operations by Shanta Gold in the region. The company is seeking to establish a large-scale extraction project – one that residents fear could uproot communities and erode livelihoods carefully built over generations.

Similar scenes of unrest were reported in November 2025 in Ikolomani, where locals protested against possible relocations linked to the same company.

Shanta Gold has previously signalled its intention to invest in a multi-billion-shilling project in western Kenya, targeting high-grade gold deposits expected to yield significant output over several years.

Source: nation.africa

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