news 12 October 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Anti-Oil Activist Collapses in Court, 10 Remanded
A Ugandan court ordered a medical assessment for an environmental activist who collapsed during proceedings. Ten activists from Rooted in Resistance remain remanded on charges of common nuisance. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/court-remands-10-anti-oil-activists-as-suspect-collapses-in-dock-5629102
Shakira Kasonga, an environmental activist with the pressure group Rooted in Resistance, collapsed in the dock at Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court on Monday, October 12, 2026. The incident briefly halted court proceedings as Grade One Magistrate Alex Ninyonzima directed prison authorities to conduct an urgent medical examination of Kasonga and submit a report before the group’s bail hearing on October 19.
Kasonga is one of ten activists arrested on August 31 and charged on September 1 with common nuisance under the Roads Act. They were intercepted while attempting to deliver a petition to Parliament, advocating for reforms in Uganda’s oil policies and a transition to renewable energy. Their co-accused, also remanded, include Lucky Nyamadri, Isaac Akampulira, Daniel Mugabe, Ivan Ochola, Enock Opolot, Sharifah Nantongo, Dorothy Asio, Rahma Namuddu, and Sharon Shaluwatino.
In a separate development, four other activists from the same organization, arrested earlier on August 10, were also remanded until October 26, pending their bail application hearing.
Defense lawyers have criticized the prolonged pre-trial detention and overcrowded prison conditions, citing severe health risks. Lawyer Kato Tumusiime condemned the extended remand, stating, “The prisons have been ordered to conduct a medical examination and file a report in court stating her condition. All these issues are caused by congestion in prisons due to inconsiderate pre-trial remand.” He urged the judiciary to expedite hearings and called for improved health services in detention facilities.
Doreen Namara, another defense lawyer, lamented the state’s treatment of peaceful demonstrators, questioning why exercising freedom of speech leads to arrests. She contrasted the activists’ long detention with the immediate police bond or bail often granted to those accused of corruption.
The Rooted in Resistance movement has consistently called for Uganda to move away from fossil fuel projects and embrace green manufacturing, climate-smart agriculture, and renewable energy. This advocacy occurs against a backdrop of significant developments in Uganda’s oil sector, including the branding of its crude oil as “Pearl Sweet” and the near-complete construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)