Ugandan police arrest 10 activists protesting oil projects in Kampala

Ugandan police arrested at least 10 youth activists from the group Rooted in Resistance during a protest in Kampala on Monday. The demonstrators were marching toward Parliament to deliver petitions opposing continued investment in fossil-fuel infrastructure, specifically the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

The activists are calling for Uganda to shift its economic focus away from petroleum toward sectors such as agriculture, tourism, renewable energy, and manufacturing. They argue that the EACOP project, which aims to transport crude from western Uganda to Tanzania, poses significant environmental risks and could lock the country into fossil fuel dependence.

Police officials stated the arrests occurred near King George Street and Parliamentary Avenue on allegations of being a public nuisance. The demonstration caused traffic disruptions in the parliamentary precinct. This incident follows a similar protest on August 10, which resulted in the arrest and subsequent remand of four other members of the same group.