Uganda’s youth activists are pressing for an economic shift away from fossil fuels, citing environmental concerns and limited public benefits from petroleum development.
Police on Monday arrested several youth activists at Parliament as they marched to submit a fresh petition calling for an end to Uganda’s dependence on oil, accusing authorities of ignoring their earlier demands for economic reforms.
The protesters, operating under the Rooted in Resistance campaign, were arrested by parliamentary police while demonstrating against the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure in Uganda.
The activists are calling for Parliament to review the country’s petroleum policies and for national investment to be redirected towards renewable energy, green manufacturing, climate-smart agriculture and technology, which they say would create jobs and broader economic opportunities.
They are also urging the government to pursue an oil-free economy by shifting investment towards agriculture, tourism, renewable energy and manufacturing.
The campaigners have raised concerns about environmental degradation and what they described as limited benefits from oil for ordinary Ugandans.
Their petition comes after earlier calls for economic reforms, which the activists said authorities had ignored.
