the
The
of
to
and
And
a
A
is
In
• In Uganda, where freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are enshrined in the constitution, 11 young environmental activists remain behind bars not for committing violence, not for inciting unrest, but for peacefully delivering a petition to Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Uganda.
• Their only intention was to challenge the bank’s role in financing the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), a project that threatens ecosystems, displaces communities, and exacerbates the climate crisis.
• Instead of receiving their message, these young people were deceptively led into the basement of the bank and handed over to waiting police officers who arrested them on charges of criminal trespass.This arrest, and the subsequent prolonged detention of the activists, raises serious concerns about the shrinking civic space in Uganda and the increasing repression of youth-led activism.
• The government's response to peaceful protest especially when it challenges powerful corporate interests has become increasingly punitive.
• The case of these 11 EACOP activists illustrates how dissent is being criminalised, and how constitutional rights are being trampled under the guise of law enforcement.On April 23, 2025, a group of young Ugandans arrived at KCB Bank’s offices in Kampala armed with nothing more than a well-researched petition.