Women continue to bear the adverse effects of the EACOP project in Uganda

Friday, June 20th, 2025 | By

Community members in studios of Community Green Radio during a talk show recently.

The East African Crude Oil Pipeline project has had numerous negative effects on the social, economic and environmental set up of the respective communities.

The women, however, have taken and continue to take the biggest share of these impacts.

Adverse impacts include the disruption of family and social life; the increased risks to health and safety, especially in terms of domestic and sexual violence; environmental degradation; as well as changing access to and control over land and livelihoods.

“We are experiencing high crime rates in our community such as land wrangles, we lack hospitals and there are high rates of school drop outs of children since they want to benefit from the project:, said Ms. Joy Kyalimpa, a resident of Kihoko Village in Buhimba Sub county in Kikuube District western Uganda.

Ms. Kyalimpa, a single mother of three, says that the implications for women and girls’ health and safety resulting from the in-migration of large numbers of mostly men seeking project employment and other opportunities have resulted into school drop outs and high crime rates in their communities.

Annet Kasoro from Kabaale village in Buseruka Sub County Hoima District says she has felt the pain of resettlement when her land was taken in 2017.

She says her community was promised electricity, water, and access to markets and while the electricity poles were built there is no electricity.

The women made the revelation on Community Green radio when they appeared for a program early June this year. The show was one of those that the radio organizes with a purpose of amplifying the voice of the vulnerable rural women, especially those affected by oil and gas related infrastructures like the EACOP.

Ssembatya Asuman the Nabulembeko parish LC2 chairperson in Kyankwanzi district , who appeared on the show with the women, appealed to government to expedite the process of compensation do help avert the suffering of the women and the communities in general. He promised to lobby government to provide more social amenities like water and health to the communities affected by the EACOP.

The chairperson commended Community Green radio for their continuous efforts in providing a voice to the voiceless.

STORY COMPILED BY JULIUS KYAMANYWA AND JOAN NANTEZA