JUDICIARY Latest Features

The Chief Justice, Justice Dr Flavian Zeija, has announced that the Judiciary is establishing a specialised Environment and Infrastructure Division to strengthen its capacity to handle disputes arising from Uganda’s expanding infrastructure and extractive sectors, including oil and gas.

He made the announcement as the Judiciary concluded a four-day field study visit to Uganda’s oil and gas region in the Albertine Graben. The excursion was organised by the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) in collaboration with the Bank of Uganda (BoU), the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) and the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC).

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Justice Zeija said the study visit had equipped judicial officers with practical knowledge that would enable them to fairly, efficiently and competently adjudicate petroleum-related disputes as Uganda moves closer to first oil.

“It is important that, as judges, we understand the sector. If a dispute arises, how do you adjudicate it when you don’t even know it? There is nothing as good as adjudicating in an area you understand well,” he said.

The Chief Justice emphasised that the Judiciary must support, rather than hinder, national development while ensuring justice is administered fairly.

“As the Judiciary, we must have a development mindset. We are training judges to ensure they appreciate these projects and determine disputes in a manner that promotes justice while supporting the country’s development,” he said.

Justice Zeija added that the Judiciary would continue partnering with institutions in the petroleum sector to build the capacity of judicial officers ahead of commercial oil production.

On the final day of the excursion, the delegation toured the Tilenga Project after receiving a technical briefing at TotalEnergies EP Uganda’s offices in Buliisa District. Participants learnt that Tilenga is Uganda’s largest upstream oil development project, spanning parts of Murchison Falls National Park and the districts of Buliisa and Nwoya.

The project comprises six production fields—Jobi-Rii, Ngiri, Gunya, Kasamene-Wahrindi, Kigogole and Nsoga, with 34 well pads and approximately 420 production wells. Officials explained that Jobi-Rii, the largest production field, derives its name from the Acholi (Luo) words Jobi (buffalo) and Rii (giraffe), reflecting the rich wildlife found within Murchison Falls National Park, where the field is located.

The Tilenga Project is expected to produce up to 190,000 barrels of oil per day at peak production. It has attracted an investment of approximately US$6 billion, making it one of Uganda’s largest strategic infrastructure projects.

The delegation also toured the 302-hectare Tilenga Industrial Area, which houses the Contractor Support Base, Central Processing Facility, Drilling Support Base, solar power plant and Construction Camp Area that support oil production operations.

At the rehabilitated Jobi-Rii 2 (JBR2) exploration well, the Chief Justice commended the developers for restoring the site after exploration activities.

“Other than the monument, you cannot tell there was ever exploration here. This demonstrates a high level of compliance with environmental restoration requirements,” Justice Zeija said.

He also expressed satisfaction with the environmental protection measures implemented throughout the project, noting that wildlife conservation and ecosystem restoration had been integrated into petroleum development.

“The developers are sensitive to environmental protection and appear to be complying with the required standards. We have also been assured that the safety systems in place can detect any leakages or spillages at an early stage,” he said.

Justice Zeija assured investors that the Judiciary would continue to handle disputes arising from the sector professionally, fairly and expeditiously.“Our message to investors is that the Judiciary will handle every dispute professionally, efficiently and fairly because this resource is part of our national heritage and should contribute to Uganda’s development,” he said.

Deputy Chief Justice Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi commended the environmental restoration efforts along the rehabilitated trunkline corridor, saying the restored landscape demonstrated that petroleum development and environmental conservation could successfully coexist.

“We commend the players in the sector for restoring the environment to its original state. This shows that oil development and conservation can go hand in hand while protecting tourism and biodiversity,” he said.

The delegation also visited a replacement home for Project Affected Persons (PAPs), where beneficiaries shared testimonies about the resettlement programme. They explained how they received modern homes, livelihood support and food rations during the transition period before rebuilding their lives.

Bank of Uganda Governor Dr Michael Atingi-Ego said the visit would help prepare the Judiciary for disputes that may arise as more investors enter Uganda’s petroleum sector.

“We do not want disputes to delay oil production because the sector is expected to support Uganda’s economic transformation. The Judiciary has a critical role in ensuring that justice is delivered efficiently while maintaining investor confidence,” he said.

He added that oil revenues should strengthen other sectors of the economy, including agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, science and technology, to ensure sustainable growth beyond the petroleum era.

Representing the Chief Executive Officer of the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Mr Tony Otoa, said the visit had given judicial officers an opportunity to appreciate the progress made in Uganda’s petroleum industry and the significant investment in local content and skills development.

“What you have seen represents only part of Uganda’s petroleum potential. With continued collaboration and support from all stakeholders, we can grow this industry for the benefit of the country,” he said.

Representing the Commissioner for Legal and Board Affairs at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, Ms Diana Prida commended the partnership between the Judiciary and sector institutions, saying the field visit would enable judicial officers to make informed decisions based on first-hand appreciation of the industry’s operations.

PAU’s Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs, Mr Ali Sekatawa, thanked the Judiciary and the Bank of Uganda for undertaking the study visit and reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to continued collaboration through knowledge-sharing and capacity-building initiatives to ensure the Judiciary remains well prepared to address legal issues arising from Uganda’s petroleum sector.

The four-day excursion provided judicial officers with first-hand exposure to upstream oil operations, environmental management, community resettlement, local content initiatives and petroleum infrastructure, further strengthening the Judiciary’s preparedness to handle the complex legal issues expected as Uganda advances towards first oil.

The excursion concluded with a cocktail dinner at Kabalega Resort in Hoima, marking the successful completion of the Judiciary’s landmark field study on Uganda’s oil and gas sector.