Landowners facing the threat of eviction in Buliisa district within the Albertine Graben region took to the streets, heading towards Hoima High Court, to demand a judicial review of a court ruling permitting the government to evict them from their land.
The impending infrastructure development by TotalEnergies’ Tilenga project is set to displace 42 families. The Tilenga Project, operated by the French energy giant TotalEnergies, is Uganda’s largest upstream development and is expected to produce 190,000 barrels of oil per day.
Accompanied by some affected family members, the landowners marched through the streets of Hoima towards the High Court, holding placards with various messages, such as “Stop land grabs,” “Don’t displace us for oil,” and “Our land our lives.”
Fred Mwesige, one of the landowners, led the peaceful protest and read out their petition at the High Court, expressing dissatisfaction with the handling of the case by the High Court Judge in Hoima. They criticized the rushed court ruling delivered within four days without granting them a hearing.
The landowners voiced concern that the government is favoring the interests of oil companies over the rights of its citizens. They demanded a halt to eviction and compensation processes until an independent expert conducts a thorough review of the court ruling.
Furthermore, they called for fair and adequate compensation based on independent valuation and community consultation. They urged the government to address outstanding land disputes and unclear land ownership issues before proceeding with the project.
The landowners also insisted on their right to fair process and access to justice, requesting a reasonable opportunity to present their case and proper examination of evidence.
Representing the landowners, lawyer Kato Tumusiime questioned the evaluation process and final compensation rates, arguing that the government’s actions contravene Article 26 of the 1995 constitution.
Fred Balikenda, another landowner, shared his experience of having his land fenced off by TotalEnergies before agreeing to compensation, despite the company building a replacement house for him.
The legal battle stemmed from a suit filed by the Attorney General against the 42 Projects Affected Persons, seeking court permission for the Ministry of Energy to acquire the land and deposit compensation in court.
Justice Jessy Byaruhanga of Hoima High Court ruled in favor of the Ministry of Energy, ordering the deposit of compensation in court. However, the landowners refused the government’s offered rates and have been in dispute with the energy giant since 2022
