The Omukama of Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom his highness Dr. Solomon Gafabusa Iguru Agutamba Rukirabasaija is against a vote from the European Union Parliament halting the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
The EU Parliament recently voted and resolved that the pipeline is blocked over alleged gross human rights violations and environmental concerns.
Speaking on behalf of the Omukama, Andrew Byakutaga, the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom prime minister says that further delay of the project will frustrate the development of the oil and gas infrastructure needed to pump oil out of Bunyoro Kingdom.
He says the Kingdom is aware that the government undertook Impact Assessments as part of the project implementation through National Environmental Management Authority to address the potential adverse effects of the project on the environment and host communities.
Byakutaga adds that the Kingdom is in full support of the government to immediately construct the EACOP saying the region has already started benefiting from the oil project citing the construction of the Oil roads, provision of jobs, the establishment of Hoima city, and improvement in other infrastructures.
Byakutaga further explains that the EACOP Environmental social Impact Assessment(ESIA) was comprehensively done and approved by National Environmental Management Authority(NEMA) adding that the Kingdom was a witness to the ESIA studies that were conducted by the government of Uganda.
The 1,443km crude oil export pipeline will transport Uganda’s crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near Tanga port in Tanzania.
According to the agreed plan, the pipeline route will begin from Hoima through Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Gomba, Sembabule, Lwengo, Kyotera, and Rakai, and cross the Tanzania border between Masaka and Bukoba, and traverse Tanzania through Kahama, Singida, Kondoa, into Tanga.
