EACOP pushes green school drive in Kyotera as pipeline debate grows
Children from St. Kizito Primary School demonstrate waste management at bins donated by EACOP and Rotary during the Green Schools Initiative launch in Kyotera
Kyotera, Uganda — The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Ltd., in partnership with Rotary Uganda, has launched a new Green Schools Initiative at St. Kizito Primary School in Kasasa Sub-County, Kyotera District, aiming to promote environmental conservation in schools located along the controversial 1,443-km pipeline route.
The programme, which follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed in August 2025, will run in ten districts where the pipeline passes. It focuses on installing solar systems, creating fruit and vegetable gardens, improving waste management, promoting handwashing and sanitation, and introducing rainwater harvesting. Officials say the effort is designed to equip learners with “lifelong values” for environmental stewardship.
Speaking at the launch, EACOP Deputy Managing Director JB Habumugisha framed the programme as part of the company’s broader social investment strategy. He said the initiative aligns with EACOP’s five sustainability pillars, including empowering future generations and promoting clean water, health, renewable energy and environmental protection.
“At ECOP we recognize that true sustainability goes beyond just building a pipeline,” he said, noting the company’s previous community initiatives such as vocational training, tree planting and infrastructure improvements. He encouraged students to become “ambassadors” of proper waste management both at school and at home.
Rotary Uganda leaders echoed similar messages. District Governors Geoffrey Kitakuule (9213) and Christine Kyeyune Kawooya (9214) both emphasized the role of young people in shaping long-term environmental behavior. They described the collaboration as a way to reach future custodians of the environment and build community-level awareness.
Local leaders, however, used the platform to highlight gaps in existing environmental enforcement and to push for a wider rollout. Kyotera Resident District Commissioner Apollo Mugume praised the initiative but acknowledged persistent environmental degradation in wetlands and along riverbanks, where illegal cultivation continues despite national regulations.
He urged EACOP and Rotary to expand the programme to all 112 government-aided schools in the district after the initial list of beneficiaries is completed. “We need to combine efforts and make sure we protect our environment,” he said, adding that starting with children could help influence families and communities.
The launch comes at a time when EACOP remains the subject of intense scrutiny from environmental groups and international watchdogs, who argue that the pipeline threatens biodiversity, water resources and climate commitments. Although company officials describe the Green Schools Initiative as evidence of responsible development, critics say such projects do little to offset the long-term environmental risks linked to the pipeline.
EACOP, a joint venture between TotalEnergies (62%), the Uganda National Oil Company (15%), Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (15%) and China’s CNOOC (8%), is set to transport crude from Hoima in western Uganda to the Tanzanian coast at Tanga for export.
For now, communities along the route say they welcome any investment in education and environmental learning, but many will be watching closely to see whether the initiative produces long-term change or remains a symbolic gesture in the shadow of a massive oil project.
