For their courageous work for climate justice and community rights violated by extractivist energy projects in Uganda.
Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) is a Ugandan organisation empowering communities to stand up against environmentally damaging projects linked to the exploitation of oil and gas. Through advocacy, media campaigns, and local and international legal action, AFIEGO has ensured that communities’ voices are heard by decision-makers.
The discovery of Uganda’s commercial oil reserves in 2006 has led to an increase in land grabs, illegal displacement and environmental degradation in the past decade. Founded in 2005, AFIEGO has emerged as a key player in protecting the rights of affected communities. In particular, the organisation has been at the forefront of efforts to stop the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which would transport Uganda’s crude oil to a port in Tanzania. Through gathering evidence to be used in court cases and drawing attention to the impact of the planned pipeline on local communities, AFIEGO has been instrumental in creating international pressure to stop the construction.
AFIEGO’s work has drawn severe backlash from the Ugandan government, resulting in threats and harassment, including arrests and detentions, against its staff. However, AFIEGO continues to fight for environmental protection and the well-being of affected communities using innovative legal methods and creating space for civil society voices.
When the government knows that there are people around the world who appreciate our work, they think twice about attacking us or our communities.
Dickens Kamugisha, Chief Executive Officer of AFIEGO
Biography
In the face of the global climate crisis, AFIEGO stands with communities against oil and gas exploitation projects. Resisting government and corporate threats, the organisation ensures that communities affected by colonialist extractive energy projects can raise their voices on national and international levels. With their bottom-up work at the intersection of societal, economic and environmental concerns, AFIEGO models a democratic and renewable energy path for African countries.
The discovery of Uganda’s oil reserves
The discovery of Uganda’s commercial oil reserves in 2006 has led to a lengthy process by the government and private companies to begin oil production. The Ugandan government estimates there are between 1.8 and 2.2 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the country’s north-western Albertine region. Due to this discovery, there are now several oil extraction and refinement projects under construction or consideration. These projects are operated by international firms such as the French company Total Energies and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), all with the support of the Ugandan government. The main projects include the Tilenga and Kingfisher pipelines, which would provide the oil for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), and the Uganda Oil Refinery, which plans to extract 60,000 barrels per day.
These projects, if completed, would involve exploration and extraction of reserves underneath farmland and lakes, as well as in the Murchison Falls National Park, the largest and oldest national park in Uganda. According to the German NGO urgewald, the Tilenga Pipeline would displace more than 31,000 people, and EACOP would displace more than 86,000 in Uganda and Tanzania.
Upholding community rights against oil projects
AFIEGO, which was founded in 2005 by four students, is one of the most important actors in Uganda mitigating the harmful impacts and rights violations, such as land grabs and environmental degradation, associated with these projects. They work closely with communities, grassroots groups and other civil society organisations at the national, regional and international levels. At all levels, their work is deeply rooted in the needs and concerns of the communities they represent. AFIEGO has elevated local community-based organisations to stand up for their rights and make their voices heard by companies and officials alike.
One example of AFIEGO’s engagement is their ongoing struggle together with the Kyakaboga community. In 2012, more than 7,000 Kyakaboga community members were displaced by the Uganda Oil Refinery project. Since then, the community has fought to receive the fair and timely land relocation and compensation they are entitled to. In 2014, AFIEGO and the community took their case to the High Court of Uganda to fight this injustice. The case remains ongoing. While a full realisation of justice has not yet been achieved, tangible outcomes like relocation have occurred thanks to AFIEGO’s efforts. Although work is ongoing to make such solutions more sustainable, Kyakaboga has inspired other communities to take action and have their say in government projects.
EACOP campaign
AFIEGO has adopted a multi-faceted approach, including advocacy, media campaigns, and local and international legal action, to protect the environmental and human rights of communities affected by the exploitation of oil and gas. One of the most damaging projects is the EACOP pipeline, funded primarily by Total and CNOOC. According to Total, the project consists of the construction of a buried 1,443 km oil pipeline between Kabaale, Uganda, and the port of Tanga in Tanzania. The pipeline would cut through 178 Ugandan and 231 Tanzanian villages, causing mass displacement and environmental harm.
AFIEGO is a prominent actor in the #StopEACOP campaign, a network of more than 20 domestic and international organisations. The organisation provides the network with key updates on the events on the ground, creating a direct link to affected communities.
AFIEGO has filed several lawsuits aimed at preventing oil developments with their negative impacts on people and the environment. For example, AFIEGO’s lawyers have filed a case against EACOP before the East African Court of Justice. The organisation is also challenging the environmental certificate provided to the Tilenga oil extraction project, which would connect to EACOP. Finally, AFIEGO is a party to legal proceedings in France, together with three other Ugandan and two French civil society organisations, against the oil megaproject. This constitutes the first lawsuit based on the 2017 French law on the duty of vigilance of transnational corporations.
Work on energy security
At the time of AFIEGO’s founding, Uganda was suffering from a period of frequent power cuts. Today, energy security continues to be a problem for many communities: Uganda ranked seventh out of the 20 most access-deficit countries, with more than half of the country lacking access to electricity, according to a 2019 report by the International Energy Agency.
An important aspect of AFIEGO’s work has been the promotion of green and renewable energy as a means to tackle this energy insecurity. They have successfully pushed for amendments to the recently passed Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2022, which amended certain provisions of the Electricity Act of 1999. After a long and tedious process of engagement on the issue, the new law will provide subsidies for rising energy bills and greater accessibility to solar energy equipment.
Threats and harassment
As a result of their activities to prevent environmental damage and protect the rights of communities, AFIEGO and their staff have faced threats and harassment from the authorities. Their office has been raided on several occasions and their staff arrested and detained. In a widely condemned move in August 2021, the National Bureau for Non-Governmental Organisations indefinitely suspended 54 civil society organisations in Uganda, including AFIEGO, supposedly on the grounds of violating regulations. The organisation has continued to operate since this announcement, albeit, under increasing pressure.
