Kikuube, Uganda: Two international human rights organisations have raised fresh concerns over alleged ongoing abuses affecting communities around Uganda’s Kingfisher oil project operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).
In a briefing released this week, the groups accused security forces and project actors of enforcing militarised restrictions, carrying out unlawful evictions, and subjecting locals to harassment and gender-based violations. Fisherfolk and women traders were named among those most affected, facing extortion at road checkpoints, limited access to fishing grounds, and economic exploitation.
The Kingfisher development, located along the shores of Lake Albert, is part of Uganda’s drive to exploit its oil reserves for national growth. However, civil society actors argue that the economic promise of oil has come at the expense of local livelihoods and fundamental rights.
“People are living under daily fear. Communities that once depended on fishing and farming now face intimidation and shrinking opportunities to earn a living,” the report states, urging the government and project operators to take urgent measures to safeguard affected families.
The rights groups further called for independent investigations into claims of forced displacement and inadequate compensation for land acquired for the project. They warned that without accountability, such abuses could worsen as Uganda advances toward commercial oil production and the implementation of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
Government officials have defended the oil developments as vital for economic transformation, promising jobs and infrastructure growth. Rights advocates, however, insist that such benefits must not come at the expense of vulnerable communities’ dignity and safety.
The Kingfisher project is one of two major oil fields under development in Uganda, with the first oil expected in the coming years. For now, the outcry from rights defenders serves as a sobering reminder of the human cost behind the country’s energy ambitions.
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