Greetings from Liberty Pro Bono Initiative (LPI),
Liberty Pro Bono Initiative is a non-profit company limited by guarantee whose main objective is to promote the rights of marginalized groups, especially women through legal support, environmental advocacy, and climate justice in Uganda.
We write to you to express the growing concern over the continued detention and denial or unwarranted delay in granting bail to female environmental activists in the above-captioned matter where they are charged with the offense of Nuisance on Roads C/S 65 (e) of the Roads Act Cap 346.
The said female Environmental Activists are Asio Dorothy (20 years), Nakyambadde Teopista (25 years) and Nalwadda Shammy (24 years) who were peacefully delivering a petition to Stanbic Bank on August 1, 2025 in protest against the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project due to its documented human and environmental violations. Despite the nonviolent nature of their action, they were arrested and have been denied the right to apply for bail highlighting the increasing criminalization of civic activism and suppression of dissent in Uganda.
The matter has so far come up for hearing for 5 different times, and yet on all occasions, the Trial Magistrate has insisted on not hearing the bail application even when the lawyers submitted that they had instructions to apply for bail.