Examining the Effectiveness of the National Legal Framework on the Protection of the Environment at the Upstream Stage of Oil and Gas: A Case Study of the Oil and Gas Industry of Uganda

Abstract

This dissertation investigates how Uganda’s legal framework addresses environmental protection during the upstream phase of oil and gas activities covering prospecting, exploration, appraisal, and development. Relying on doctrinal and desk-based legal research, it analyses constitutional provisions, petroleum and environmental statutes, subsidiary regulations, policy directives, and judicial decisions. To assess effectiveness, the study applies a framework built around eight indicators: clarity and coherence of laws, institutional capacity, openness and participation, quality of environmental assessments, monitoring and compliance, liability mechanisms, remedies, and access to information and justice. The findings reveal that while the framework demonstrates commendable normative advances, weak enforcement, overlapping mandates, and gaps in public engagement undermine its practical impact, leaving communities and ecosystems vulnerable. The research therefore recommends legislative fine-tuning, stronger institutional collaboration, adoption of cumulative and strategic environmental assessment across project phases, more rigorous disclosure obligations, and the establishment of sanctions and remedies that prioritise ecological restoration and community-centred grievance resolution.