Kampala, Uganda – On June 26, 2024, police arrested 30 individuals who were demonstrating near the Chinese Embassy in Kololo, Kampala district. The demonstrators were protesting against oil exploration activities, leading to charges of unlawful assembly.
Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire confirmed the arrests. “On Wednesday, June 26, 2024, police at Jinja Road arrested 30 individuals near the Chinese Embassy in Kololo. Among those arrested, 9 are female and 21 are male. The individuals were involved in an unlawful assembly, holding placards that read ‘no to oil,'” Owoyesigyire stated.
The suspects are currently detained at Jinja Road Police Station. They are facing allegations of holding an unlawful assembly. “We urge the public to remain calm and to follow legal procedures for any form of protest or assembly,” Owoyesigyire added. Further details will be provided as they become available.
The protest comes amid ongoing oil exploration activities in Uganda, involving several Chinese firms. In April, China invited Uganda’s energy minister, Ruth Nankabirwa, to Beijing to discuss the country’s $5 billion crude oil project. Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his support for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a 1,445-kilometer (898-mile) pipeline that will transport oil from Uganda’s oilfields to Tanga Port on the Tanzanian coast.
