Kenyan Catholic Environmentalist Decries East African Leaders’ “scary silence” on Crude Oil Pipeline Project

Wanzala warned that the risks of oil leakage could be catastrophic considering that the pipeline is set to cut across sensitive ecosystems, including a section that passes through Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater lake. 

She said, “Part of the pipeline passes through Lake Victoria, about a third of it. Lake Victoria feeds almost everyone in Africa in one way or another. It supports the livelihoods of 40 million people in Africa and directly employs about 40,000 in Kenya.”

“So in case of a leakage along that pipeline, we are going to lose everything as Kenya, as Africa, as a continent,” she said and added, “The pipeline is even passing through a national park. On top of that, it will be producing over 600 million tons of carbon per year. I feel this project is not good for us as Africans.”

The Kenyan Catholic youth further expressed concern about the pipeline’s potential contribution to climate change.

She said, “The pipeline will produce more than 600 million tons of carbon emissions per year. We are still working hard to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, yet this project is going in the opposite direction.”

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Wanzala, who is known for her advocacy against fossil fuels, regretted that despite these concerns, leaders in the East Africa region have continued to remain silent.

“We have petitioned the East Africa community, yeah, but the fact that they have not talked about it is even scary,” she said, alluding to a petition that youth from Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya sent to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).

In the June 15 petition, the youth from the three East African Community (EAC) member countries challenged the implementation of EACOP and urged EALA “to immediately halt the project, protect human rights and ensure justice for affected communities, and strengthen environmental safeguards and climate policies.”

“We call upon the EAC Parliament to uphold its legal and moral obligations,” the youth say in the petition and proceed to demand the setting up of a “tribunal of inquiry to probe cases of human rights abuses, violations, and transgressions committed in the course of the EACOP project.”

They emphasize that the tribunal “should investigate all allegations of human rights abuses, recommend legal sanctions for the perpetrators, and provide reparations for victims.”

“The EAC was founded on unity, sustainability, and shared prosperity, not fossil fuel exploitation. We urge you to stand with the people, not polluters, and lead a just energy transition,” they say.

They add, “We refuse to accept a future of climate disasters, polluted water, and stolen land for the profits of a few. The EACOP project is a betrayal of East Africa’s youth, and we demand better. Our future is not negotiable.” 

Meanwhile, during the October 1 interview with ACI Africa, Wanzala described her opposition to the EACOP project as not only an environmental stand but also a moral responsibility as a young Catholic. 

“In Africa, we are among the people suffering the most from the consequences of climate change,” she said and added, “Fossil fuels are extracted here, taken to Europe, and then sold back to us at higher prices. It doesn’t make sense,” she said.

She acknowledged the vital role of young people in championing ecological justice, safeguarding creation, and defending vulnerable communities from exploitation, describing their rising voice on these issues as “a sign of hope.”

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“We were once told we are the leaders of tomorrow, but today we are the leaders. When I talk about fossil fuels, I feel like I am advocating for the next generation,” she said during the October 1 interview on the sidelines of the Season of Creation event that was held at the Pauline Sisters’ premises in the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi (ADN).

Nicholas Waigwa is a Kenyan multimedia journalist and broadcast technician with a professional background in creating engaging news stories and broadcasting content across multiple media platforms. He is passionate about the media apostolate and Catholic Church communication.