Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court has remanded ten youths to Luzira Prison over allegations of causing a nuisance on a public road during a protest against oil development in Uganda.
The accused, aged between 20 and 26, appeared before Grade One Magistrate Rophine Acayo on Tuesday and denied the charges brought against them.
They include painter Lucky Nyamadri, salon worker Shakirah Kasoga, casual worker Isaac Akampulira, builder Daniel Mugabe, mechanic Ochola Ivan, student Enoch Opolot, tailor Sharifah Nantongo, shopkeeper Dorothy Asio, businesswoman Rahma Namuddu and salon attendant Tino Sharon Shaluwa.
Prosecution alleges that on August 31, 2026, at about 9am, the ten, together with others still at large, gathered on King George Way in Kampala and positioned themselves on the road in a way that caused danger or inconvenience to traffic.
The prosecution says the protesters wore orange T-shirts labelled “Rooted in Resistance” and carried placards opposing oil development.
Among the messages on the placards were “Oil is Temporary, Nature is Permanent,” “Oil Today, Problems Tomorrow,” and “Prioritize Other Sectors of the Economy.”
The accused were charged under Section 67(1)(e) of the Road Act, which prohibits conduct that causes danger or inconvenience to traffic on a public road.
The court heard that the accused did not have sureties available when they appeared, prompting the magistrate to remand them to Luzira Prison.
They will return to court on September 18, 2026, for mention of the case and consideration of their bail applications.
The arrests followed a protest by activists calling for greater attention to environmental protection and investment in other sectors of the economy.
The protesters are associated with Rooted in Resistance, a pressure group that has previously organised demonstrations against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
The 3.5-billion-dollar pipeline is intended to transport crude oil from Uganda’s Albertine region to Tanzania’s port of Tanga.
The project has faced opposition over environmental concerns, compensation for affected communities and questions surrounding agreements between Uganda and Tanzania.
In May 2026, the High Court in Kampala awarded four anti-EACOP activists a total of 40 million shillings in damages after finding that they had been unlawfully detained beyond the constitutional 48-hour limit.
The four activists—Alphonse Nkurunziza, Vincent Lubega Nsamba, Gerald Wenani and David Musiri—are members of Rooted in Resistance.
