Kampala, Uganda – The case involving 11 climate protesters, widely known as the #KCB11, has been adjourned once again to July 17, 2025, extending their detention to a staggering 85 days without bail.
The 11 activists were arrested earlier this year for staging a peaceful protest against the controversial East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project.
They have since been remanded without trial, triggering widespread criticism of Uganda’s judicial system.
In today’s hearing, hopes of a swift resolution were dashed when the Chief Magistrate declined to reassign the case in the absence of the original presiding magistrate, who is currently on leave.
“The court could have reassigned the matter, but instead chose to delay justice further,” said one of the defense lawyers. “This is not just procedural; it’s punitive.”
The court’s decision means that the KCB11 must wait until July 17, when the magistrate returns from leave, marking nearly three months behind bars for an act of peaceful civic engagement.
The #KCB11 are young Ugandan activists arrested for protesting the EACOP, a pipeline project they say threatens ecosystems, displaces communities, and fuels the climate crisis.
The protest took place in Kampala near the offices of financiers linked to the oil project.
International environmental movements, including StopEACOP and Fridays for Future Uganda, have condemned the arrests as part of a growing trend of state suppression of climate activism in East Africa.
Human rights watchdogs and civil society organizations have branded the prolonged detention as a gross miscarriage of justice.
“Peaceful protest is not a crime,” tweeted StopEACOP. “Yet the #KCB11 will now have spent 85 days in jail simply for demanding climate justice.”
The case has galvanized public opinion, with online campaigns under hashtags like #Justice4KCB11 and #FreeThe11 calling for the immediate release of the detained protesters.
Critics have accused the Ugandan government of weaponizing the judiciary to stifle dissent. The repeated adjournments without a bail ruling are being viewed as a deliberate tactic to punish the activists without trial.
International environmental organizations, including Greenpeace Africa and 350.org, have issued statements in support of the KCB11, urging the Ugandan government to respect freedom of assembly, expression, and the right to a fair trial.
Unless urgent intervention occurs, the 11 activists will remain incarcerated until at least July 17, raising questions about the independence of Uganda’s judiciary and its tolerance for civil activism in an election season.
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