By Nathan Eyagu 

SOROTI — Lawyer Okello Joshua has sued the Attorney General at the Soroti High Court, seeking to halt the enforcement of the government’s charcoal restrictions, arguing that the crackdown threatens the livelihoods of vulnerable communities that depend on charcoal for cooking and income.

Okello filed Miscellaneous Cause No. 108 of 2026 under the Human Rights Enforcement Act, challenging the implementation of Presidential Executive Order No. 3 of 2023 in Teso, Karamoja, Northern Uganda and West Nile.

The application seeks a permanent injunction restraining law enforcement agencies from arresting people over domestic charcoal use, prosecuting small-scale traders and confiscating charcoal from vulnerable communities under the challenged enforcement measures.

He is also seeking an order of mandamus compelling the government to implement parliamentary directives issued on October 14, 2026, calling for a review of the enforcement measures and greater consideration of affordable alternative energy sources.

On Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Parliament moved to suspend enforcement of the charcoal trade ban pending a statement from the Minister for Energy and Mineral Development on the restrictions and the uptake of alternative energy sources.

Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth issued the directive while chairing a plenary sitting, saying the government should explain the ban’s implementation and outline progress in promoting alternative cooking fuels.

“Government should come next Wednesday and update us on this ban, and tell us the extent of the performance by the ministry in promoting alternative energy sources,” Oboth said.

He added that enforcement should be suspended in the interim, citing the difficulties authorities could face in implementing the restrictions.

“For between now and Wednesday, let us first suspend the enforcement. I do that not because I support charcoal, but because I am aware of how difficult it is going to be for the enforcers,” he said.

The directive followed concerns raised by Leader of the Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, who told Parliament that the announcement on enforcing the ban had caused considerable public alarm.

Parliament’s intervention placed renewed focus on the availability of affordable alternatives for households that rely on charcoal and the practical challenges of implementing the restrictions.

The enforcement measures stem from Presidential Executive Order No. 3 of 2023, issued on May 19, 2023, which prohibits charcoal burning and trade in West Nile, Northern Uganda, Karamoja and the Teso sub-region.

The order forms part of government efforts to address environmental degradation associated with charcoal production and trade.

However, the restrictions have raised concerns about the impact on low-income households and small-scale traders who depend on charcoal for cooking and their livelihoods.

In his court application, Okello argues that enforcement without adequate access to affordable, accessible or subsidised alternatives undermines human dignity and places an unfair burden on vulnerable citizens.

He maintains that environmental conservation should be accompanied by practical measures to help households transition to cleaner cooking fuels without worsening poverty.

Okello is seeking two principal remedies.

First, he wants a permanent injunction restraining law enforcement agencies from carrying out the specified arrests, prosecutions and confiscations affecting domestic charcoal users and small-scale traders.

Second, he wants an order of mandamus compelling the government to implement the parliamentary directives cited in his application and pursue an energy policy that takes the circumstances of low-income households into account.

The Soroti High Court received and stamped the application on October 26, 2026, according to the information provided.

The Attorney General’s response and any subsequent court directions were not available at the time of writing.