00:00maktoum kajubi has been arrested more than 10 times for protesting uganda's oil projects today
00:07he walks into court again but not as they accused four fellow activists are facing charges of being
00:14a public nuisance after a demonstration on august 10 2026 maktoum hopes his colleagues will walk
00:21free we have brought our assurities we have brought our documents for our comrades and we
00:27we believe uh they have a right to be given bail but uh it depends on the magistrate
00:35in 2025 dw reported on maktoum and his friends protests
00:40against the construction of the east african crude oil pipeline
00:48there he sustained injuries during arrest a year later maktoum says his hand troubles him
00:54and he cannot afford further treatment so what exactly is the eco project that maktoum is willing
01:01to risk his health fighting against the pipeline will allow uganda to export crude oil from two
01:08major oil fields it will skirt the vulnerable ecosystem of lake victoria then crosses the border to tanzania
01:16ending at the port of tanga the pipeline is now more than 90 percent complete with officials targeting
01:23first oil exports by the end of 2026 the five billion dollar project is backed by french total energies
01:31and the china national offshore oil corporation governments insist the project meets the highest
01:38environmental standards but critics say the risks far outweigh the benefits some of the drilling
01:47is inside magician falls national park this is a vulnerable ecosystem that is home to elephants
01:53and other endangered species like the gray crowned crane a potential oil spill could affect lake victoria
02:01africa's africa's largest freshwater lake over 40 million people rely on its water for fishing and farming
02:09the albatain rift region is a very fragile ecosystem very fragile in the sense that if nsp happens
02:19a lot of our of our biodiversity will be disrupted or even destroyed shami keiza nalwada spent nearly nine
02:28months in prison to prevent this from happening today she joins mactoom to show solidarity with her
02:36friends she was arrested after protesting against stanbeck bank's financing of the pipeline project last
02:43year she says she is fighting for a greener future for her country the government sees oil as a driver
02:50of
02:50growth and their critics are accused of serving foreign interests i know it's not true uh we do this from
02:57the bottom of our heart because we love our country and we love seeing green everywhere as we climate
03:04activities we are not paid to do this activity so that is propaganda but we are here to deliver
03:11for mactoom the activism has come at a high personal cost his family have withdrawn their support
03:17and finding work has become almost impossible since he can't afford tuition he still couldn't complete his
03:24degree at the university most people don't want to associate with me like someone cannot give you a
03:31job because they think you are what you are into or you are fighting against the government which is not
03:37the case for us we are not against the government we are against uh the activities and all other things
03:45that are affecting our environment and the climate with the pipeline almost complete mactoom's campaign has
03:52widened now called rooted in resistance the group wants uganda to abandon all extraction altogether
04:00so if we are not giving up because the pipeline has uh reached 90 percent or something we are still
04:06on it this campaign is not only for students now it is for everyone all the youths all the women
04:11all
04:12our fathers that's why we call it rooted in resistance we just change to welcome all other members
04:20and their victories recently uganda's high court ordered compensation for members of rooted in
04:27resistance and that's what i was putting the judicial officer their citizens exercising their constitutional
04:32right to express themselves see protected right under our constitution for the four activists at this
04:39hearing detention continues mactoom says the magistrate gave them no opportunity to apply for bail
04:45and sent them back to prison at least one more week i sometimes get worried for myself because as i
04:53told
04:53you as we continue doing this it even becomes more threatened but he says he will continue protesting
05:02our message is just clear we are saying no to oil that's all that's all we want let them leave
05:08it in the
05:09ground
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