KAMPALA, Uganda — The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd. reaffirmed its commitment to respecting human rights and engaging openly with civil society and affected communities, even as protests and grievances continue to surface around Uganda’s oil and gas developments.
The assurance came during the recent Civil Society Organization (CSO) Conference on Oil and Gas, organized by the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU). The annual forum brings together key stakeholders to promote best practices in business and human rights.
Barbara Nakayenze, EACOP’s Human Rights Coordinator, spoke on a panel at the conference, outlining how the company meets its obligations under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). She emphasized that EACOP’s approach extends beyond aspiration to include concrete processes and measurable actions.
“We moved from principle to practice, and from intent to measurable responsible action,” Nakayenze said. She referenced the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) conducted in 2018 and the subsequent Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) framework, which identified nine key human rights issues along the pipeline corridor.
Priorities included women’s rights, marine livelihoods, and the rights of contractor and supplier workers. Nakayenze also noted grievance mechanisms and access to information as cross-cutting concerns addressed through institutional reforms.
A major part of her message focused on transparency and multi-stakeholder accountability. She highlighted that the HRDD report is publicly available on EACOP’s website and urged civil society to engage more proactively with the information.
“Every year we come to this forum and say the same thing: the report is available. Yet very few people seem to have read it,” she remarked, pointing to a disparity between forum attendance and familiarity with the report’s contents.
To promote inclusivity, EACOP has introduced several grievance platforms tailored for different stakeholders, including one for community members, another for workers, and a whistleblowing tool (NAVICS) for anonymous reporting. Nakayenze encouraged those unwilling to approach EACOP directly to use state institutions such as the Uganda Human Rights Commission or Tanzania’s Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance.
“We understand that some civil society groups or individuals may not want to speak directly to us. That’s why we support alternative avenues for accountability,” she said.
She acknowledged the role of human rights defenders and youth voices, stating that both local and international protests and petitions are reviewed seriously. She shared that EACOP teams have met with protestors on-site, received their petitions, and followed up with constructive dialogues.
Nakayenze’s remarks also reflected a willingness to improve. “We’re not perfect,” she said, “but mistakes show that we are making progress. We’re open to new ways of engagement, please propose them.”
Her comments received a mixed response, with some civil society actors questioning the effectiveness of existing grievance channels and the accessibility of information to rural communities directly affected by the project.
Still, the tone of the session was one of guarded optimism. Many agreed that continued dialogue and transparency are key to building trust in Uganda’s oil and gas sector as the EACOP project progresses. Attention remains on how these commitments will be implemented and how civil society will respond.
