By Our Reporter
Julius Kitone, President of the Atlas Movement Uganda Chapter, delivered a passionate and urgent call to action on Thursday during a high-level breakfast dialogue hosted at Cavendish University. The event, themed “Exploring Ecocide Law and Environmental Issues in Uganda,” brought together environmental advocates, academics, civil society leaders, and students to engage on the legal recognition of ecocide and its implications for Uganda and the wider African continent.
In his keynote address, Kitone challenged Ugandans and the international community to confront what he described as “the betrayal of Mother Earth,” calling for a shift from rhetoric to responsibility in environmental governance.
“Ecocide is not an abstract legal term,” Kitone said. “It is the oil pipeline slicing through ancestral lands. It is toxic waste dumped in our lakes. It is forests set ablaze for monoculture profits. It is death—slow, quiet, and legal—until now.”
The Atlas Movement leader emphasized the urgency of recognizing ecocide—defined as mass environmental destruction—as an international crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), placing it alongside genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of aggression. He noted that Africa, and Uganda in particular, has become a hotspot for environmental harm often perpetrated by multinational corporations operating under the banner of development.
Kitone pointed to the controversial East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) as a prime example of such ecocide in progress, warning that if such projects are not subjected to legal scrutiny, the continent risks irreversible ecological and human damage.
He outlined three key steps Uganda must take:
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Support the international recognition of ecocide at the ICC, leveraging its position as a state party to the Rome Statute.
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Reform domestic environmental legislation to include enforceable accountability mechanisms, with protections for indigenous land rights and ecosystems.
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Invest in youth-led climate action and environmental technology, such as his own climate-responsive platform, JuliKitAi/ECOEYE AI, which aggregates real-time environmental data for public awareness and advocacy.
“Awareness is power—and action is everything,” he noted, emphasizing the importance of mobilizing communities through information and innovation.
Kitone also addressed various stakeholders in his speech, commending civil society for their continued activism, calling on the media to hold power to account through factual reporting, and urging the international community to match words with meaningful solidarity, especially in the form of legal and financial support.
To Ugandans, Kitone issued a heartfelt plea for reflection and stewardship:
“This land—this Pearl of Africa—is not a resource to be used up, but a legacy to be passed on.”
As the world faces the escalating impacts of climate change, Kitone’s address marked a powerful moment in Uganda’s growing movement to push for environmental justice and global accountability.
“Let’s be the generation that said no to mass destruction and yes to a living future,” he concluded. “Let’s be the guardians, not just of Uganda—but of Earth itself.”
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