By Nathan Eyagu

SOROTI CITY – The High Court of Uganda sitting in Soroti has served the Attorney General with a hearing notice in a public-interest lawsuit filed by human rights advocate Joshua Okello challenging the enforcement of the charcoal ban under Presidential Executive Order No. 3 of 2023.

The Attorney General was served on Friday at 4:00 PM, paving the way for the case, registered as Miscellaneous Cause No. 05 of 2026, to come up for hearing on November 16, 2026.

Okello filed the application under the Human Rights (Enforcement) Act, 2019, seeking court intervention over what he describes as aggressive and disproportionate enforcement of charcoal restrictions, particularly against vulnerable households and small-scale traders.

In his sworn affidavit, Okello argues that the enforcement operations have disproportionately affected communities in Teso, Northern Uganda, West Nile and Karamoja, where many households depend on charcoal as their primary cooking fuel.

He maintains that charcoal remains an essential household commodity for millions of low-income citizens who cannot afford alternative energy sources such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity due to rising living costs and prevailing economic hardships.

The applicant further raises concerns over the alleged arrest of domestic consumers and confiscation of small quantities of charcoal, arguing that such operations expose already vulnerable families to unnecessary economic hardship, humiliation and social disruption.

A significant part of the petition also references Parliament's intervention on October 14, 2026, when Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth reportedly directed the Executive and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to suspend the enforcement crackdown pending the presentation of a clear and affordable alternative cooking fuel strategy to Parliament.

However, Okello alleges that security and enforcement agencies have continued apprehending citizens despite the parliamentary directive, raising concerns about the implementation of Parliament's position.

While acknowledging the importance of environmental conservation, Okello argues that protecting forests should go hand in hand with safeguarding citizens' livelihoods and human rights.

He proposes government-supported access to affordable clean cooking energy, subsidies and community-driven reforestation programmes as more sustainable approaches to addressing environmental degradation.

Through the court application, Okello is seeking legal protection for vulnerable citizens and intervention against what he considers unlawful enforcement practices.

The case is expected to bring renewed attention to the balance between environmental conservation, government enforcement policies and the economic realities of households that rely on charcoal for their daily cooking needs.

With the Attorney General now officially served, attention turns to the November 16, 2026 hearing at the Soroti High Court.