A leading climate change non-governmental organization has just published a report attacking Uganda’s petroleum industry and its plans to construct an oil pipeline to the Dar es Salaam port in Tanzania. In August, Climate Rights International (CRI) released a 156-page report claiming widespread human rights abuses and environmental damage at Uganda’s Kingfisher oil field. The report called on financial institutions and insurers to cease all support for the project.
The discovery of oil in Uganda holds out the promise of that country achieving energy independence, including full electrification and much needed revenue for economic development.
In a statement denouncing the report, the African Energy Chamber called CRI, ‘'an organization fixated on perpetuating global energy poverty” and asserted, “With an electrification rate of less than 60% in urban areas and less than 20% in rural areas, Uganda should be allowed every right to tap into its 1.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil reserves and half-trillion cubic feet of proven natural gas reserves to ensure economic growth and social development in the country.'’ The statement, by AEC Executive Director NJ Ayuk, suggests that ‘'perhaps [CRI Executive Director Brad] Adams should ask Norway and Germany to cancel their gas deal rather than fixating on keeping Uganda poor.”