KAMPALA – A video circulating widely on social media has sparked outrage after allegedly showing Chinese supervisors employed by China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (CPECC) physically confronting Ugandan workers at the Tilenga oil development project in Buliisa District.
The 26-second video, which has gone viral across social media platforms, appears to show several workers wearing CPECC-branded protective overalls engaged in a physical altercation on top of a crane truck, while fellow workers watch from below.
CPECC is one of the major engineering contractors on the Tilenga oil project, which is operated by TotalEnergies EP Uganda.
The footage has drawn widespread condemnation, with many Ugandans calling for an urgent investigation into the incident and the treatment of local workers on the multi-billion-dollar oil project.
An X user who shared the clip described the incident as “unethical and dangerous,” claiming it occurred at the Tilenga Project in Buliisa District and urging TotalEnergies Uganda and relevant authorities to take action against those responsible.
The circumstances leading to the confrontation remain unclear, and it has not been independently established what triggered the altercation or whether anyone sustained injuries.
Neither CPECC nor TotalEnergies EP Uganda had publicly commented on the incident by the time of publication.
The alleged incident comes at a time when labour practices and local content implementation in Uganda’s oil and gas sector remain under close public scrutiny.
If confirmed, it is likely to intensify calls for stricter enforcement of workplace safety standards, protection of workers’ rights, and accountability among contractors operating on strategic national projects.
Authorities are yet to indicate whether an official investigation has been launched.