BY INNOCENT KIIZA
At the heart of the UN Climate Change Conference COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Uganda made waves with a bold strategic plan for an equitable energy transition.
The Uganda’s Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa outlined the country’s vision of balancing decarbonization with addressing the stark reality of energy poverty.
The plan emphasized regional integration, renewable energy resources, and innovative financing mechanisms to drive Uganda’s transformation into a regional energy hub.
“We are committed to increasing energy access domestically while leveraging the East African Power Pool to export our surplus electricity,” Nankabirwa declared at a high-level session on investing in energy resilience and nature in Africa.
Uganda’s milestones in energy development underscore its ambitions.
The recent commissioning of the 600MW Karuma Hydropower Plant and the 183MW Isimba Hydropower Plant have bolstered the nation’s electricity generation capacity to 2,000MW, doubling the national demand of 1,000MW.
These successes reflect Uganda’s reliance on renewable energy, which accounts for 95% of its energy sources.
Looking ahead, Uganda aims to diversify further, with a nuclear power project expected to add 24,000MW by 2027.
Simultaneously, the country is leveraging associated gas reserves to produce Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), targeting 500,000 cylinders annually.
Sustaining this ambitious venture, however, requires approximately $30 million annually, a challenge the government hopes to overcome through partnerships with commercial banks and innovative financing models.
A People-Centered Energy Transition
Uganda’s Energy Access Scale-Up Project is a cornerstone of the government’s efforts to address rural electrification, reduce reliance on biomass and kerosene, and improve livelihoods while reducing carbon emissions.
“This plan is not just about technology it’s about people,” said Dr. Gerald Banaga-Baingi, Uganda’s Task Team Leader for Transition and Integrated Planning.
At the COP29 discussions, Uganda’s comprehensive energy transition strategy was celebrated for integrating science-based approaches, robust financial frameworks, and transparent emissions reporting. By doing so, the country aligns economic growth with environmental conservation, reinforcing sustainable development goals and climate action priorities.
Legal Battles Surrounding Uganda’s Energy Projects
As Uganda strives for energy resilience, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project has become a lightning rod for legal and environmental scrutiny.
At the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), civil society organizations (CSOs) are fighting to hold the project accountable to regional and international laws.
Four Civi Society Organization’s AFIEGO, Natural Justice, the Center for Strategic Litigation, and CEFROHT—filed an appeal after their case was dismissed in 2023 for being filed late.
They argue that EACOP violates human rights, environmental conservation standards, and climate agreements like the Paris Accord.
A Court Battle for Justice
During a recent hearing at the Appellate Division of the EACJ, Tanzania’s Deputy Solicitor General requested dismissal of the appeal, citing the absence of a record of proceedings from the First Instance Division. However, the judges, led by Justice Nestor Kayobera, rejected the request.
“The need to file the record of proceedings is a shared responsibility between the appellants and the respondents,” said Justice Kayobera.
Observing the public interest in the case, he emphasized the importance of ensuring fairness by hearing the case on its merits. The CSOs were granted until November 29, 2024, to file the missing documentation.
Lawyer Dr. Rugemeleza Nshala, representing the CSOs, praised the court’s decision, calling it “a significant step toward justice for communities affected by EACOP.”
Voices of the Affected
For people like Gozanga Kyakulubya 47 years, a farmer from Uganda’s Kyotera district, the fight against EACOP is deeply personal. “My land was taken, fenced off before I was paid, and I was sued for rejecting low compensation,” he lamented.
His journey to the EACJ underscores the pain and frustration felt by thousands of EACOP-affected people.
Despite setbacks, CSOs remain hopeful. “This is a landmark human rights and climate change case,” said Dickens Kamugisha, CEO of AFIEGO.
“We are optimistic that the court will prioritize people and the environment over fleeting profits.”
As Uganda champions clean energy at COP29, the legal battles around EACOP serve as a stark reminder of the complexities of balancing development with justice.
With its energy transition strategy, Uganda aspires to set an example for Africa, but the path is fraught with challenges that demand inclusive and equitable solutions.
In the coming months, all eyes will be on Uganda both in its courts and its clean energy corridors to see if its people-centered vision can truly serve as a beacon for equitable energy transitions in Africa and beyond.
