FIRST OIL: Civil society debates how to regulate methane

What the report says

Kampala-based reporting from The Independent Uganda says a policy debate is intensifying as Uganda nears first oil over how to control methane emissions from the petroleum sector and whether the country should use oil-specific rules or a broader national climate framework. The government expects first oil before the end of September, while petroleum projects continue to advance, including Tilenga, which the article says was 74% complete at the end of June 2026 with 234 wells drilled.

According to the report, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is drafting a Methane Emissions Abatement Roadmap and a National Action Plan for Short-Lived Climate Pollutants. Those drafts have been reviewed by civil society groups and environmental experts, and proposed measures would limit routine flaring and venting, require justification for any gas release, encourage reinjection where possible, and improve monitoring and reporting. Ministry official Caroline Aguti said the sector should be built around low-emission production, while also recognizing that methane comes from agriculture, waste and household energy as well as oil and gas.

The article also cites a September 2025 study commissioned by the Natural Resource Governance Institute that found Uganda’s current petroleum laws do not give specific methane-reduction guidance. The study recommended dedicated regulations and incentives before commercial production begins. Experts quoted in the piece argued that coordination and implementation clarity will be important, especially because agriculture is currently a larger methane source than petroleum. The issue matters, the report suggests, because methane is a powerful near-term warming gas and Uganda’s oil plans could increase emissions without stronger controls.