Uganda’s opposition leader, Bobi Wine, pledged to scrutinise all oil agreements if elected president next week.
Wine said any contract not benefiting Ugandans would be revised, signalling potential shifts in the country’s emerging oil sector.
Uganda plans to begin commercial crude production this year with fields operated by TotalEnergies, CNOOC, and Uganda National Oil Company.
Both TotalEnergies and CNOOC operate under production-sharing agreements with the government, arrangements Wine described as needing urgent review.
“We shall study all agreements,” Wine, a former pop star, told Reuters in Kampala during an exclusive interview last week.
Wine is challenging President Yoweri Museveni for the second consecutive election after securing 35% of votes in 2021.
Uganda’s oil reserves, estimated at 6.65 billion barrels, were discovered two decades ago but delayed repeatedly over disputes and environmental concerns.
The opposition leader criticised Western allies for supporting Museveni despite repeated crackdowns on political opponents and human rights violations.
Museveni, 81, has ruled Uganda for 40 years amid accusations of violent repression, which his government consistently denies.
Wine said security forces beat him twice during campaigns and blocked his access to multiple regions of the country.
He claimed hundreds of supporters have been detained during the election campaign, a figure corroborated by the United Nations.
The government maintains all arrests relate to legitimate criminal violations, rejecting claims of political targeting.
“These Western countries have laws they can use against human rights violators, yet they choose business over democracy,” Wine said.
He accused international partners of hypocrisy, alleging diplomacy and commerce take priority over the rights of ordinary Ugandans.
Oil production delays and political unrest highlight the stakes of the upcoming vote, which could reshape Uganda’s economic and political landscape.
Wine’s promise to revise oil contracts reflects broader ambitions to assert national control over resources and challenge longstanding governance.
The election, scheduled for next week, pits a youthful opposition figure against a long-standing authoritarian leader in a high-stakes contest.