His name is not new on the legal scene. As a partner of one of Kampala’s top law firms, Kampala Associated Advocates, Elison Karuhanga’s name has dominated headlines not once or twice following a number of landslide victories of the big cases that have made it to national headlines.
The calm lawyer prefers to introduce himself as an ordinary man trying to find footing in the oil and gas sector. But don’t let that deceive you, Elison Karuhanga is a partner at Kampala Associated Advocates. He specialises in Oil and Gas, Energy, Electricity and Infrastructure, Public Procurement Law, Administrative and Constitutional Law, Corporate and Commercial Law, Banking Law Finance and Land Law. He is a columnist in the Monitor Newspaper.
Recently, Elison came out of his private life to host what is quickly becoming a household Sunday talk show called Discourse Africa. Discourse is an online public community that uses the Twitter Spaces to hold conversations on various topical issues. But more recently he has been preoccupied with the oil and gas sector where he has interfaced with several big shots in the industry. Some of the known guests include the CEO of the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), Proscovia Nabbanja; the Chairperson of the Chamber of Mines and Petroleum and Regional Chief Executive – East Africa at Standard Bank Group, Patrick Mweheire. He has also hosted the Executive Director of Uganda’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Barirega Akankwasah as well as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy.
But Elison is not chest-thumping about the quick successes and merely says, in his view, the show has had “the good fortune of having very good speakers who have shared information that would rather not be available.”
“Discourse Africa is a forum, a channel which brings together people who demystify, democratise and open up the sector for the scrutiny that makes sure that the information shared brings some light as well,” he explains.
He says, he felt compelled to start with the oil and gas sector, because many people are yet to come to a full understanding and appreciation of the rather complex oil and gas sector, a subject that requires a lot of clarification.
“By hosting various private and public players, we will be able to positively shape the public discourse on oil and gas and other critical matters that affect Uganda and Ugandans,” he adds.
“Discourse Africa came to fill the gap. For an hour, weekly, on Sunday at 3 pm various industry leaders will be hosted, to share their challenges at the environmental, financial and technical levels. It’s more of an opportunity to have a conversation,” Elison, further explains.
So far, there have been about 10 episodes. A happy Elison, tells this magazine, “Ever since the space opened up, there has been an overflow of information sharing which would rather have not come out to the main domain. There are so many facts and information that were not there in the public discourse which have now come out.”
Airtel Africa and SpaceX Announce Strategic Partnership to Launch Starlink Direct to Cell Connectivity Across AfricaThe Twitter space-based platform is committed to bringing the people who understand the technicalities of the sector to do the magic. “It is important to continue bringing well-meaning people who will contribute to this agenda.”
Explaining why this is a timely conversation, Elison is quick to say, “Oil and gas is a very technical sector that people find very hard to understand. And this is at all levels; legal, environmental, and regulatory. It is a complex subject given the state interest vis-a-vis investor interests. You have community interest and social protection with all manner of institutions including the world bank. From social to climate to engineering to geology. This is not a subject that can be explained away in soundbites and slogans. To that end, there is a need to share all the right information as can be availed. It is not your everyday subject and this is not only a case special to only Uganda, but it is also a global challenge.”
There has never been a greater need to have the correct information than it is now. Uganda’s oil has been in the news since the recent visit of the EU MPs who spewed a lot of misinformation about the project. It is without a doubt that Elison has been among the people who have come out to fight against this misinformation.
“The EU parliament should have concerned itself with meeting the right people. All work is on ground. The people responsible too are here. I don’t understand why the people they sent chose not to ask the right people. For example, everyone knows that the pipeline does not pass through Lake Victoria. It is that simple.
It is important for us to understand why this misinformation is there. These people were here. They had the opportunity to meet with various officials but those whom they sent did not bother. It reminds me of the story of Caleb and Joshua in the Bible. When the Israelites sent spies to see who was in the land of milk and honey and came back and said there were giants. I think the EU delegation that came here lacked Calebs and Joshuas. Nobody was able to see any opportunities. All they saw were imaginary giants.”
At an individual level, Mr Karuhanga believes the fight for misinformation is for every Ugandan. “We have a duty to protect our country from all forms and manner of misinformation.”
Fortunately, by the time this misinformation came out, Discourse Africa had already started hosting airing and the facts had started coming out. The host insists that the Twitter platform is not presuming anything. They are only asking people who know the right information to come out and share. “We have taken solace in the fact that the facts will eventually come out and that information will be corrected.” He concludes.
