• Tilenga oil project required land from 4,954 households in Uganda
• Over 99% of affected households received compensation payments
• Project linked to EACOP pipeline targeting first oil July 2026

The development of TotalEnergies’ Tilenga oil project in Uganda has required the acquisition of land from 4,954 households in the districts of Buliisa, Hoima and Kikuube in the Lake Albert region, according to an independent report released by the French energy company.

The assessment, conducted by Canadian firm Land & People Planning Ltd. and published by TotalEnergies on March 6, reviews the implementation of the compensation and resettlement programme linked to the Tilenga project. It says 2,108 acres, just over 850 hectares, were acquired between 2022 and late 2024 to advance the project.

Of the affected households, 205 primary residents have been relocated to newly built homes under the resettlement programme. Most land compensation agreements have also been finalised. The report says more than 99% of affected households have signed agreements and received payment. It adds that all homes built for displaced households have been completed and handed over to their occupants. Ugandan authorities and project operators are meanwhile continuing livelihood support programmes for affected communities.

Land acquisition criticised by NGOs and local residents

These developments come amid sustained criticism of Tilenga’s land acquisition process from non-governmental organisations and some local residents. In 2019, several NGOs, including Friends of the Earth France, filed a lawsuit in French courts challenging both the Tilenga project and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

The case relied on France’s 2017 Duty of Vigilance Law, which requires large companies to identify and prevent social and environmental risks linked to their overseas operations.

The plaintiffs accused TotalEnergies of failing to put adequate safeguards in place to protect local communities and the environment around Lake Albert. In February 2023, however, the Paris civil court dismissed the initial complaint on procedural grounds without ruling on the substance of the allegations.

In late June 2023, Reuters reported that several organisations and members of communities affected by the Tilenga and EACOP projects had filed a new legal challenge before a Paris civil tribunal. According to Friends of the Earth, 26 residents are seeking damages, mainly for loss of access to their land or damage to their homes. The case remains under judicial review.

EACOP: central to Uganda’s oil export strategy

Tilenga is one of Uganda’s flagship oil developments. The project involves developing six fields in the Lake Albert region and drilling about 400 wells, according to operator TotalEnergies and its partners CNOOC and the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC).

Crude produced under the Tilenga project is expected to reach international markets through the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. Stretching about 1,443 kilometres, EACOP will connect the Lake Albert oilfields to the Tanzanian port of Tanga for export.

In February 2026, Ecofin Agency reported that construction of the pipeline was about 80% complete. According to official statements cited by the outlet, Tanzania and Uganda are targeting a first oil cargo by July 2026. Both countries reaffirmed the deadline after talks between Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

Abdel-Latif Boureima