Buganda Road magistrate’s court in Kampala has remanded to prison, nine university students for allegedly protesting against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project.
The nine university students were on Tuesday arrested by police while deliver a petition in support of the EU Parliament resolution to halt the construction of the 1,445-kilometer-long pipeline that draws crude oil from wells in western Uganda in Hoima district to Tanzania’s seaport of Tanga.
On Wednesday afternoon, the nine including Imran Ntabazi, Vincent Lubega Nsamba, Aphouse Nkurunziza, Gerald Wenani, David Musiri, Alex Wasswa Lyazi, Benjamin Akiso, Akisi Gonga and Maktom Kajubi were presented before Buganda Road Court Grade one magistrate Fedelis Itwau and charges related to being a common nuisance were read to them.
“On October, 4, 2022 at Kingdom Kampala, you obstructed and inconvenienced the public in exercise of your common rights of being rowdy blocking walkways thereby concluding to be a common nuisance contrary to section 160(1) of the Penal Code Act,” the magistrate read the charges.
The nine students however denied the charges but the state prosecutor told court investigations into the matter are still ongoing.
The group was remanded to Luzira until Monday for court to hear their bail application.
