Civil Society Activism in Uganda

Civil society organizations (CSOs) in Uganda maintain a high profile through their advocacy work around the development of Uganda's oil and gas sector.

Areas of influence
CSOs have been particularly active in their call for the government to publish its contracts with international oil companies; in highlighting the need for a clear tax collection mechanism for the country to benefit as much as possible from oil activity; and in their call for Parliament to retain an oversight role in the management of the oil sector. Civil society was especially visible in the period leading up to the passage of Uganda's petroleum bill in December 2012, criticizing the power bestowed on the energy minister by Clause 9 in the bill. Within the Ugandan parliament itself there is the Parliamentary Forum on Oil and Gas, a group of MPs that has engaged with CSOs and demanded greater parliamentary oversight in the management of the oil sector.

Civil society coalition
The Civil Society Coalition on Oil in Uganda (CSCO), a "non-registered loose network of member organizations" includes twelve of the most prominent CSOs in this field, including:


 * Advocates’ Coalition for Development & Environment (ACODE); http://www.acode-u.org/
 * Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO); http://www.afiego.org/
 * WWF Uganda; http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/uganda/
 * International Alert; http://www.international-alert.org/
 * Uganda Wildlife Society (UWS); http://www.uws.or.ug/
 * Kitara Heritage Development Agency (KHEDA); http://www.khedakitara.org/
 * Earthsavers Uganda; http://www.earthsavers.ws/
 * Water Governance Institute (WGI); http://www.watergovinst.org/
 * Human Rights Network Uganda (HURENET - U); http://http://www.hurinet.or.ug/
 * Greenwatch; http://www.greenwatch.or.ug
 * The Albertine Rift Basin Environment Watch (TARBEW); http://www.albertineenvirowatch.org
 * Lake Albert Children and Women’s Advocacy and Development Organization (LACWADO)
 * Uganda Land Alliance
 * Practicing Environmental Managers’ Organization (PEMO)
 * Pro-biodiversity Conservations in Uganda
 * NatureUganda - The East African Natural History Society