By Guest Writer
[Buganda Road court finds group guilty of public nuisance, prepares to sentence them as lawyer decries delay with students missing school]
Eight environmental activists who criticized President Museveni’s government and demonstrated against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline were convicted of public nuisance on Thursday, capping a detention that has kept several university students behind bars since August.
Buganda Road Chief Magistrate Sylvia Muwonge found the group guilty of charges linked to anti-EACOP protests and sent them back to Luzira Prison pending sentencing on April 17.
The activists have been on remand since August 1, 2025 — a period their lawyer says has cost some their semester.
“The delay in sentencing is punishing students who should be in lecture rooms,” said defense counsel Samuel Wandera outside court. “We intend to petition the higher court over the handling of this matter.”
The protest and the pipeline:
The eight were arrested during demonstrations opposing EACOP, the 1,443km heated pipeline planned to run from Hoima, Uganda to Tanga, Tanzania. Civil society groups have raised concerns over displacement, environmental impact on Lake Victoria basin wetlands, and carbon emissions, while the government cites jobs, revenue, and energy security.
Prosecutors argued the group blocked traffic and inconvenienced the public during their action in central Kampala, meeting the threshold for public nuisance under the Penal Code. The defense maintains the protest was peaceful and protected under Article 29 of the Constitution.
With conviction entered, Magistrate Muwonge set April 17 for aggravation, mitigation and sentencing. Public nuisance carries a maximum of one year in prison, a fine or both.
Wandera said the defense will present academic records and character references, arguing for non-custodial sentences given the time already served on remand.
Court was packed with fellow activists and relatives, some wearing shirts reading “Stop EACOP.” The group remained calm as the ruling was read.
Neither TotalEnergies EP Uganda nor the Ministry of Energy had commented by press time. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
