“Climate activists who are calling for stop EACOP do not wish well for Uganda,” - Nankabirwa
The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development Ruth Nankabirwa has lashed out at climate activists who are campaigning against the against East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), saying they do not wish well Uganda.
Nankabirwa said that the activists have deliberately misrepresented facts and intend to slow the country’s socio-economic development.
Nankabirwa made these remarks while addressing the House of Bishops on the developments in the oil and gas sector at Bushara Island in Kitumba Sub County, Kabale District on Monday.
“A group of local and international activists are using all the means available to sabotage the Uganda’s oil and gas projects at this time when it has progressed from the early exploration period,” Nankabirwa said.
The minister said that Uganda has put in place an enabling legal framework for the participation of Ugandans in oil and gas activities but the environmentalists and activists are instead fighting the initiative instead of taking up the available opportunities.
She requested the Church of Uganda, through the Archbishop and the House of Bishops to support the development of Uganda’s oil and gas sector, saying it comes with a lot of benefits.
The Archbishop Steven Kaziimba Mugalu thanked the minister for involving the bishops in Uganda’s oil and gas projects and pledged the church’s support.
Early this year, government through the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) agreed on a deal with Tanzania, TotalEnergies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) to invest more than $ 10 billion (about shs 36 trillion) in developing the crude oil production in East Africa.
The project is expected to culminate into building a vast regional oil pipeline network in Uganda, through Tanzania to the Tanga port on the Indian Ocean.
Climate activists however have since drummed up support from the region and in Europe to have the pipeline stopped saying it poses a risk to livelihoods.
Several activists have also supported the efforts to frustrate the project’s funding through the hashtag #StopEACOP on social media.
