Four Ugandan farmers filed a lawsuit at the High Court in London on Tuesday, with the aim of stopping the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) from starting work by asking the court to apply Ugandan laws against the company registered in the UK.
The 1,443-kilometer (897-mile) pipeline, mostly owned by French energy company TotalEnergies, aims to carry crude from Uganda’s fields for export to neighboring Tanzania. About 80% have been built so far, according to its developers.
The first shipment of oil from the pipeline is expected as soon as October, according to its developers, and the campaign group Avaaz, which supports the case of subsidized farmers, called it “the last chance to stop one of the worst oil pipelines in the world”.
The lawsuit, filed by London law firm Leigh Day, says EACOP Ltd’s role in developing and operating the pipeline violates Uganda’s protective laws. citizens’ right to a clean and healthy environment.
One of the petitioners, Racheal Tugume, told a press conference that he has been evicted from his land due to the construction of the pipeline, which he said has damaged local rivers, wildlife and the environment that communities rely on for their livelihoods. just as the variable weather associated with climate change has an increasing effect.
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Four Ugandan farmers filed a lawsuit at the High Court in London on Tuesday, with the aim of stopping the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) from starting work by asking the court to apply Ugandan laws against the company registered in the UK.
The 1,443-kilometer (897-mile) pipeline, mostly owned by French energy company TotalEnergies, aims to carry crude from Uganda’s fields for export to neighboring Tanzania. About 80% have been built so far, according to its developers.
The first shipment of oil from the pipeline is expected as soon as October, according to its developers, and the campaign group Avaaz, which supports the case of subsidized farmers, called it “the last chance to stop one of the worst oil pipelines in the world”.
The lawsuit, filed by London law firm Leigh Day, says EACOP Ltd’s role in developing and operating the pipeline violates Uganda’s protective laws. citizens’ right to a clean and healthy environment.
One of the petitioners, Racheal Tugume, told a press conference that he has been evicted from his land due to the construction of the pipeline, which he said has damaged local rivers, wildlife and the environment that communities rely on for their livelihoods. just as the variable weather associated with climate change has an increasing effect.
“I am very happy that there are people in countries like the UK who listen to us, who are behind us and who have come to support us,” said Tugume, adding that he hopes that this case will bring justice to the communities affected by the pipeline.
Ugandan law in the UK court
Although the pipeline is a joint venture led by TotalEnergies, which has minority stakes in the national oil companies of Uganda, Tanzania and China, it is operated by EACOP Ltd, a company registered with an office in London’s Canary Wharf.
EACOP Ltd did not respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit appears to be the first attempt to ensure that Uganda’s climate and environmental protections are strengthened in a foreign court, partly reflecting concerns over whether lawsuits against the multibillion-dollar pipeline will be properly heard in Uganda.
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Concerns about due process are among the factors the court will consider when deciding whether to take the case, said Matthew Renshaw, a partner at Leigh Day.
Renshaw said events including the Nigerian oil pollution case against Shell had shown that claims against British-registered companies for overseas injuries could be successfully fought in UK courts.
“We are proud to represent four brave people,” said Renshaw.
Constitutional protection
The pipeline project has already been subject to repeated lawsuits in several countries, none of which have been successful. The climate lawsuit filed in Uganda more than ten years ago by a group of youths has not been concluded. Another at the East African Court of Justice, brought by campaign groups against Uganda and Tanzania, was rejected on procedural grounds last November.
A different case ongoing in his country TotalEnergies in France – a refiled version of a previous failed claim – cannot stop the progress of EACOP, but seeks damages from TotalEnergies for the affected communities.
In the newly filed case, Leigh Day legal counsel Marc Willers said the claim is based on specific Ugandan laws in an attempt to stop the operation of EACOP.
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These include Uganda’s constitution, the 2019 environment law and the 2021 National Climate Change Act, which provides Ugandans have the right to bring a case to court in cases where anyone or any organization threatens the country’s ability to mitigate climate change.
Stopping the “carbon bomb”
The pipeline, which will connect Uganda’s Lake Albert oil fields to Tanzania’s east African coast, has already displaced thousands of people and cuts across Lake Victoria, one of East Africa’s largest fresh water systems and an important source of water for about 40 million people.
According to the non-profit organization BankTrack, when a pipeline is at peak production, it does it will handle 216,000 barrels of crude oil per day and emit more than 33 million tons of carbon emissions each year. During its full life of 25 years, it is estimated to emit 379 million tons of greenhouse gas throughout its value chain including manufacturing, refining and product consumption.
A May 2026 report from Earth Insight also warns that the pipeline and related infrastructure could affect 158 wetlands in Uganda, 11 rivers, 44 protected areas and seven key biodiversity areas while disrupting nearly 2,000 square kilometers of protected wildlife areas.
That’s why the focus of the UK court case is to stop the pipeline in its tracks, says Leigh Day’s Willers, calling it a “carbon bomb” that could make the world’s climate worse.
Long wait for the first hearing
Although the purpose of the case is to stop the pipeline since taking office, Renshaw said it can take about 12 months before a case goes to trial and 18 months before it goes to trial.
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Farmers, however, seeking an order to suspend EACOP Ltd in continuing operations. In case the shipment starts, The lawsuit will still seek to stop the pipeline from that time, Renshaw said.
“We will be doing everything we can to speed things up but it is possible that EACOP will have started using this pipeline before the application is heard. If so, the claim will be aimed at stopping the operation from that time. For example, the pipeline may only work for one year instead of 30-plus, resulting in very little damage,” he said.
