- In a survey of people impacted by the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline in Uganda, a third of the participants said the livelihood restoration program implemented to rehabilitate them has not improved their lives.
- Project-affected persons say that agricultural inputs given to them were delivered late and that some of the seeds and seedlings were of poor quality with low germination rates.
- Some of those who received cash compensation to purchase alternative land said the compensation was inadequate and they were unable to buy land plots of similar sizes to those they had lost to the pipeline.
- People living along the pipeline route expressed concerns about safety, environmental risks and potential loss of property value.
People whose land was acquired by the Ugandan government for the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) say livelihood restoration programs offered by project developers have not changed their lives for the better, a new report says.
The 1,443-kilometer (897-mile) crude oil pipeline — the longest heated crude oil pipeline in the world — will transport oil from Hoima in midwestern Uganda to the coastal port of Tanga in neighboring Tanzania for export. Ugandan officials say the pipeline is almost 80% complete, and the country expects oil exports to begin before the end of 2026.
Almost a third of the 246 people surveyed in a report commissioned by the Uganda-based nonprofit Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) expressed dissatisfaction with how the project was being handled.
Residents affected by the project said agricultural inputs were delivered late and that some of the seeds and seedlings were of poor quality with low germination rates. These included inputs like bean and maize seeds, coffee seedlings, banana shoots and fertilizers.
For the report, AFIEGO interviewed affected people from 10 districts in Uganda, through which the pipeline traverses. According to official estimates, the pipeline project has affected 3,648 people in Uganda. Of these, 203 individuals were physically displaced and 177 chose to receive alternative housing.
EACOP Ltd., the company constructing the pipeline, leads the process for payment of compensation money to project-affected persons, but specialized contractors, nongovernmental organizations and local community organizations implement livelihood restoration programs. These efforts fall under the project’s resettlement action plan (RAP). The Ugandan government approved the RAP prepared by the consultants hired by the project developers.
France’s TotalEnergies is the majority stakeholder in EACOP Ltd., with Uganda National Oil Company, Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation and the Chinese state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation holding minority stakes.
While the enterprise does not receive funding from the World Bank or its private sector financing arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), project proponents say they are applying IFC’s performance standards.
Given participants’ dissatisfaction, the AFIEGO report warns that the EACOP livelihood restoration program may fail to restore affected people to their pre-project income levels, or better, as required under IFC’s performance standards.
“The livelihood restoration programme is key to preventing impacts such as increased poverty, food insecurity, gender-based violence, and others that are often seen if governments or corporations fail to restore the livelihoods of the people that they displace,” AFIEGO said in a prepared release.
Affected persons who were displaced received cash compensation to purchase alternative land. However, some respondents said the compensation was inadequate and that they were unable to replace the land they had lost to the pipeline.
“With less land to engage in agricultural activities, the people’s food security is at risk,” the report said.
The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), the government agency that oversees the sector, said project-affected persons who opted to receive cash were paid adequate compensation to purchase new land. It added that each person’s compensation was increased by 15% and that a 30% “disturbance allowance” was also provided. The allowance is estimated in addition to the “assessed valued amount for land, structures, crops, trees, graves and other relevant assets.” However, only persons who were notified of their displacement less than six months before the event are offered this allowance.
The PAU defended its livelihood programs, including food distribution, training in improved farming practices and financial literacy training. In cases of adverse weather conditions, it said replacements were made.
“Project-affected persons whose agricultural inputs were impacted by drought in 2024 were provided with replacement inputs to mitigate the losses,” the authority said, in response to Mongabay’s questions.
The other key finding of the report is that people living along the pipeline route were concerned about safety, environmental risks and potential declines in property values once the pipeline becomes operational. They worry about impacts on their health, soil fertility, microclimate conditions and overall climate stability.
The study noted that communities that depend directly on farming, fishing or other natural resources show significantly higher levels of anxiety. Residents, particularly in rural areas, expressed fears about possible soil and water contamination in the event of oil spills.
Communities also appear not to be fully informed about the pipeline. For instance, although the pipeline is supposed to be constructed at least 30 meters (100 feet) from residents’ homes, 20% of those surveyed said they believe it is closer than the stipulated distance. This has heightened fears of impacts in case of a leak. More than one in three persons surveyed said they were unhappy with the distance between the pipeline and their homes.
The PAU said the pipeline has been designed to ensure the safety of personnel and the environment.
“The pipeline wall is thick enough to withstand fluid pressure; it is insulated to maintain the oil temperature inside the pipeline; and it is buried in a trench at a minimum depth of two metres,” the authority said in a statement responding to questions from Mongabay.
It added that the entire length of the pipeline has been fitted with two separate leak-detection systems, including a fiber optic-based system that can detect leaks and pipeline damage in real time. Mainline valves have also been installed along the route to isolate any section in the event of a leak.
EACOP Ltd. did not respond to questions from Mongabay.
Banner Image: Participants take part in focus group discussions during data collection for the AFIEGO report in Uganda’s Kyotera district in October 2025. Image courtesy of AFIEGO.
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