The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Nankabirwa, has refuted the “many lies” that have been disseminated concerning the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project. She said that neither Lake Victoria nor 230 rivers are crossed by the pipeline.
On Tuesday, January 16, 2024, Nankabirwa gave a speech at the East African Trade and Investment Forum in Kampala. She urged overseas investors to ignore false information and take the project’s advantages into account. She gave her word that the 1,443-kilometer pipeline, which runs from Tanga Port in Tanzania to Kabaale in the Hoima district, is insulated and uses cutting-edge technology to lessen its impact on the environment.
She noted that 95% of the displaced people have been resettled, despite the difficulties in paying landowners in Uganda, where land ownership is perpetual. Nankabirwa expressed gratitude to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and government partners for their help.
Encouraging investment in the oil and gas sector, she stressed ongoing licensing for oil exploration. Nankabirwa also promised to support large mining businesses as well as artisan miners by working to link energy to mining areas.
