Defence Ministry seeks Shs2.5 billion for EACOP security
PARLIAMENT. Government is seeking Shs2.5 billion to deploy the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) to secure the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). This was revealed by the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Vincent Ssempijja who appeared before the Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs on Thursday, 11 January 2024. The EACOP is a pipeline that will transport oil produced from Uganda’s Lake Albert oilfields to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. The pipeline is buried and once topsoil and vegetation have been re-instated, people and animals will be able to cross freely anywhere along its length. “Tanzania is ready; they have budgeted for security of the pipeline but Uganda is not . This is still a thorn in our back; it is an unfunded priority,” Ssempijja said. Ssempijja who was defending the Defence Ministry’s 2024/2024 budget said […]