The East African Court of Justice (EACJ) has dismissed a five-year legal battle aimed at halting the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), citing that the challenge was filed beyond the permitted timeframe. The ruling effectively allows the pipeline, which spans 1,445 kilometres from Uganda to Tanzania, to proceed toward its planned start of operations in 2026.
The lawsuit, filed in November 2020 by a coalition of regional civil society organisations (CSOs) including Natural Justice, the Africa Institute for Energy Governance (Afiego), the Center for Food & Adequate Living Rights, and the Centre for Strategic Litigation, targeted the governments of Uganda and Tanzania, as well as the East African Community (EAC) Secretary General. The CSOs sought to stop construction in environmentally sensitive areas and secure compensation for communities affected by the pipeline project.
In its ruling, the court’s Justice Nestor Kayobera emphasized that the case violated the 60-day filing limit established under the EAC Treaty, stating that the matter “runs afoul of the time limitation provision” and was therefore dismissed.
The EACOP project, owned by TotalEnergies, CNOOC International, and the state oil companies of Uganda and Tanzania, is designed to transport up to 210,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Uganda’s oil fields to the port of Tanga in Tanzania.
Representatives of the CSOs expressed disappointment at the ruling but vowed to continue advocating for affected communities and environmental protection. Elizabeth Kariuki, Nairobi hub director at Natural Justice, called the decision “devastating for those whose lives have been disrupted by the pipeline” but confirmed that advocacy efforts will continue. Similarly, Afiego CEO Dickens Kamugisha described the ruling as “a setback for regional justice, biodiversity, and climate protection.”
Local residents, many of whom have faced resettlement and land restrictions due to the pipeline, expressed frustration. Cosmas Yiga, a project-affected person from Uganda, described the court’s decision as another blow to communities already bearing the environmental and social costs of oil development.
With the legal challenge concluded, EACOP developers are now closer to operational readiness, marking a major step forward for East Africa’s emerging oil and gas sector.
