French Oil Major, TotalEnergies Accused by Contractor of Polluting Kampala City The lawsuit puts one of the world’s biggest energy companies under rare scrutiny in Uganda, raising questions about corporate transparency, environmental safety and the future of Kampala’s industrial regulation. With allegations of concealed contamination, the case could shape how multinationals manage legacy sites and contractor obligations in the country.

French oil and gas multinational TotalEnergies Marketing Uganda is facing a lawsuit in the Commercial Court.

Local engineering contractor Civtec Africa Limited accuses the company of failing to disclose serious environmental contamination at its 8th Street fuel depot in Kampala’s Industrial Area.

According to details reported by ChimpReports, Civtec Africa says it was contracted to carry out demolition and excavation works at the depot.

But, they encountered extensive hydrocarbon pollution, including contaminated soil, underground water mixed with petroleum products, and hazardous fumes trapped in old pipelines.

The contractor claims these conditions were not revealed during tendering, despite TotalEnergies having operated the site for more than two decades.

The suit – Civil Suit No. 264 of 2025 – states that the contamination posed safety and environmental risks. It required specialised excavation and disposal in line with the National Environment (Waste Management) Regulations.

Civtec argues that while TotalEnergies approved these works, the company did not formally document or pay for the additional tasks.

It further alleges that the contamination and the presence of underground water bodies caused delays.

This resulted in the loss of 48 working days as they waited for instructions.

Court documents also indicate that TotalEnergies issued additional directives to Civtec, including relocating an electrical powerhouse.

However, they did this without adjusting the contract to compensate for the expanded scope.

Documents also indicate that Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) intervened on April 12, 2019, after TotalEnergies allegedly failed to obtain required approvals.

These approvals were for works affecting the city’s drainage infrastructure.

Because the depot sits directly above Kampala’s aquifer system, Civtec warns that the hydrocarbon waste discovered on-site may have seeped deeper into the water table.

This water table supports boreholes and wells used across the city. This issue could carry wider public health and environmental implications.

In a written response to ChimpReports, TotalEnergies declined to comment on the details of the case.

They stated it would not discuss a matter before court but would be ready to respond to questions “at a later stage.”

The Commercial Court is expected to begin pre-trial hearings later this year.