KAMPALA, Uganda (May 28, 2025) — The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project is emphasizing community engagement and social responsibility as it progresses, aiming to build strong relationships with communities along its route.

While large infrastructure projects are often measured by technical milestones, John Bosco Habumugisha, EACOP’s Deputy Managing Director, highlighted the project’s focus on people and shared progress at the 2nd Annual Civil Society Organization (CSO) Conference.

“We go to every person that we work with,” Habumugisha explained. “Some call them project-affected persons. But if you go to the field, you’ll find they’re actually positively affected persons.”

EACOP’s community engagement strategy begins before construction. Field teams conduct daily “toolbox talks” in each district, covering logistics, safety, environmental responsibility, community concerns and human rights. This approach, which Habumugisha calls building a social license to operate, ensures communities are informed and actively involved.

“Our community engagement is deep and deliberate,” he said. “We don’t move unless we understand each other.”

The project has also made tangible investments in local communities. Over 15 boreholes have been drilled in project-affected districts, providing access to safe water and easing burdens on women and children. Additionally, EACOP has launched support for girls’ education, distributing reusable sanitary pads to more than 150 families in southern Uganda, with plans for expansion. This initiative aims to reduce school dropout rates related to menstrual health.

To promote gender equity and accountability, all land compensation agreements now require spousal consent. The company has also established accessible community-level grievance mechanisms for local concern resolution.

EACOP works closely with national institutions, including the Uganda Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, to align its practices with national goals. Habumugisha views these partnerships as critical to long-term success, emphasizing accountability “not just legally, but socially.”

As the project reaches 58% completion, construction continues alongside social investment. Habumugisha stated, “We want to ensure that communities feel ownership of this project, because development that leaves people behind is not development at all.”