James Onen has expressed doubt towards the motives of environmental activist Vanessa Nakate who has been campaigning against the 5 billion dollar East African Crude Oil pipeline that is to export Uganda’s oil from Hoima in Western Uganda to Tanzania.
According to Fatboy, activists who have proper understanding and experience to fight for such a cause should be above the age of 40.
“I've always believed that activists should not be less than 40 years old because this girl is 25. She’s a child that has not seen the world. For me this Vanessa chic is like a wanna be Greater. It's like she saw Greta Thunberg being famous and she inserted herself in the whole mix of 'let me also be a child activist.' Besides, she's not saying anything new or unique."
He further said activists as young as Nakate are puppets fronted by certain special interest groups who want to ensure that they get media coverage in addition to it being their “hustle”.
Similarly, his co-host Olive Najjuma said that pushing against the construction of a pipeline, a deal which will change people’s lives through increasing their income revenues is an extreme.
Their opinions were following a conversation the duo had on the adjustments the government has made to have Ugandans use the Dar-es-Salaam port during the August Presidential elections in Kenya, to ensure that there’s no scarcity of fuel and other imported goods in the country.
The State Minister in charge of general duties Henry Musasizi informed that government has already procured vessels that will be used to transport fuel from Dar-es-Salaam to Kampala in case the Mombasa route is disrupted by the 2022 presidential elections in Kenya.
Fatboy reasoned that if a pipeline in Western Uganda is to be constructed from Hoima to Tanzania, why not construct one that carries oil from Uganda to Mombasa just like Russia exports its oil to the European Union.
He thought that this would ease the transportation of fuel despite the crisis that may happen in Kenya and would also cut on expenses.
Olive however argued that the government is aware of all these possibilities but will choose not to take them because of its intention of not making people accumulate wealth.
The Fatboy show is hosted by James Onen aka Fatboy, Olive and Sarah every weekday from 6am to 10am on RX Radio.