Samuel Okulony
Chief Executive Officer, Environment Governance Institute
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“I imagine a world where all communities have access to clean water, food, health care, and sustainable livelihoods. Natural resources are equitably managed, ensuring that development benefits everyone rather than displaces the most vulnerable.”
Samuel Okulony is the founder and CEO of the Environment Governance Institute (EGI), an organization based in Uganda that advocates for sustainable and equitable management of natural resources in the country and the surrounding Great Lakes region.
Samuel has worked for over a decade to narrow inequalities caused by large-scale oil, gas, and agricultural projects in Africa. He has organized numerous other civil society organizations, youth movements, and grassroots communities that have documented the environmental and social impacts of industrial projects in Uganda, using evidence-based advocacy to highlight violations of human and land rights. He studied environmental science, technology, and management at Kyambogo University and earned a postgraduate diploma in climate change and sustainable development from Makerere University.
Samuel focuses his work to address systemic injustices caused by these extractive and developmental projects that have displaced communities, destroyed livelihoods, and otherwise disrupted the lives of historically excluded and vulnerable groups. He is committed to empowering communities to demand their rights to clean water, food, and health care, as well as ensuring sustainable development that addresses the root causes of inequalities.