Four Ugandan Farmers Sue UK-Registered Company to Halt East African Crude Oil Pipeline

Four Ugandan farmers filed a lawsuit in the UK High Court on July 8, 2026, seeking an injunction to stop the East African Crude Oil Pipeline from operating, AllAfrica reported. The claim was filed by London-based law firm Leigh Day against EACOP Ltd, a company registered in the United Kingdom and majority-owned by TotalEnergies.

The 1,443 km pipeline runs from oilfields in Uganda to the coast of Tanzania.

The claimants argue that pipeline construction has already damaged their livelihoods, water sources and ecosystems. They seek remedies for past impacts and an order preventing further harm. Matthew Renshaw, a partner at Leigh Day, said the case is brought under Ugandan law because EACOP Ltd is incorporated in the United Kingdom.

He added that Uganda's legal framework allows individuals to seek relief where a company's actions threaten climate change mitigation or adaptation efforts. "The claim that's been filed today is against EACOP Ltd, which is a UK-registered company that has the potential to cause devastation in Uganda and indeed in the wider world," Renshaw told a virtual press conference.

Samuel Abedilembe, a farmer from Kijumba in Hoima District, stated he lost 42 percent of his land to the project.

He said the compensation received was insufficient and that construction damaged a community spring, leaving residents with muddy water after rainfall. "I now have less land to cultivate and grow enough food to support my family," Abedilembe said. " Racheal Tugume, another claimant, stated that changing weather patterns have made farming unpredictable and that she fears oil spills could contaminate rivers, soils and water sources.