By KT Reporter
The police in the Albertine region are investigating a wave of thefts of construction materials from East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) sites in Hoima and Buliisa districts.
According to police, several cases have been reported, with some suspects already arrested and arraigned before the court. Among those apprehended are Qiao Tian Peng and Zhang Dong Geng, both Chinese nationals working on the EACOP project.
The two are accused of conniving with locals in the two districts to steal materials, including drums, aluminium cable wires, and fuel, valued at 114 million Shillings. Police say the arrests followed a tip-off from a whistleblower who reported the matter to EACOP authorities and security. The suspects were later arraigned before the court, charged with theft, and remanded.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson, confirmed that more cases of theft are under investigation. He revealed that the first case file was opened at Kabaale Police Station in Kabaale Sub-county, Hoima district, on August 12, 2025, and later registered as CRB 468/2025 at the Hoima District Rural Central Police Station.
Hakiza added that the suspects were produced before the Hoima Chief Magistrate’s Court on August 14, 2025, and charged with theft before being remanded until August 28, 2025. Efforts to reach Stella Amony, the EACOP Communications Officer, were unsuccessful as her known mobile number was switched off when contacted by Uganda Radio Network (URN).
The 1,443-kilometre EACOP pipeline, valued at $5 billion, will transport crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. The project is jointly owned by TotalEnergies (62%), CNOOC Uganda (8%), the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (15%), and the Uganda National Oil Company (15%). Billed as the longest electrically heated pipeline in the world, EACOP will cross 10 districts in Uganda—covering 296 kilometres—and 25 districts in Tanzania, traversing eight regions.
Construction is being undertaken by a joint venture between China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co., Ltd and Worley Limited. So far, more than 150 kilometres of the pipeline have been laid across Uganda and Tanzania. The project will feature six pump stations, two pressure reduction stations, and a marine export terminal in Tanzania.
However, the pipeline has faced sustained criticism. In 2022, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for a one-year delay of the project, citing alleged human rights violations, forced evictions without proper compensation, and environmental risks. Concerns were also raised about drilling near Lake Albert and Murchison Falls National Park, where TotalEnergies plans to sink 132 wells.
In August 2024, some 300 Project Affected Persons (PAPs) in Hoima attempted to stage a peaceful protest, demanding a halt to construction.
Police blocked the march to the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) offices, where demonstrators had planned to deliver petitions to TotalEnergies and EACOP. Despite opposition, project officials insist that construction will continue as planned, with ongoing engagements to address community and stakeholder concerns.
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