The paperwork on the Albertine oil development is now thicker than the pipeline. The latest addition is an independent evaluation of the Tilenga land acquisition, resettlement and livelihood restoration programme, commissioned by the operator and carried out by an outside social performance firm.
What the review was asked to do
TotalEnergies EP Uganda engaged Land and People Planning Ltd to assess the programmes run between 2022 and 2024, identify remaining gaps and recommend further action. A separate consolidated advisory report covers resettlement action plans 2 to 5. Both documents are published by the operator.
The evaluation and the consolidated resettlement advisory are available in full from TotalEnergies' published review of the Tilenga land acquisition and resettlement plan .
The distance between a completed file and a restored livelihood
Government and operator statements this year have described compensation as nearing completion as first oil approached. In the parishes, completion means something narrower: a signed file and a payment made. It does not always mean replacement land of comparable quality, a functioning grievance route, or an income that has recovered to its pre-acquisition level.
The file says settled. The garden says otherwise. Those are two different words.
Why independent review still matters
An operator commissioned evaluation is not the same as external oversight, and it should not be read as one. It is still useful. A published assessment that names outstanding gaps gives district officials, civil society and affected households a common document to argue from, which is more than most projects of this scale offer.
Our wider coverage of displacement and land claims along the corridor is collected on our EACOP displacement reporting .
Frequently asked questions
- Who reviewed the Tilenga resettlement programme?
- TotalEnergies EP Uganda commissioned Land and People Planning Ltd, an external social performance firm, to evaluate the land acquisition, resettlement and livelihood restoration programmes carried out between 2022 and 2024.
- Is EACOP and Tilenga compensation finished?
- Official statements describe compensation as nearing completion, but a closed compensation file is not the same as restored livelihood, replacement land of comparable quality, or a resolved grievance.
- Where can affected households read the review?
- Both the land acquisition review and the consolidated resettlement advisory covering RAPs 2 to 5 are published on the TotalEnergies website.
- Tilenga land acquisition and resettlement plan review, 2026 - TotalEnergies
- Social performance advisory for Tilenga project resettlement, RAPs 2 to 5 - TotalEnergies
- EACOP compensation nears completion as Uganda targets 2026 oil production - The Independent
- Petroleum Authority of Uganda - Government of Uganda
Grace Nabirye investigates land, water and energy projects and their effect on households, with long-running coverage of the Albertine region and urban water supply.
- Land and resettlement
- Urban water supply
- Energy projects
