The Law Development Centre (LDC), Uganda’s top institution for legal training, has come under intense scrutiny from Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for a series of questionable expenditures totaling Shs5.1 billion.
During a PAC session on August 7, 2025, a review of the 2023/24 Auditor General’s report revealed widespread financial mismanagement, including inflated procurement costs and a blatant disregard for established financial procedures. The committee’s findings have raised serious concerns about accountability and the misuse of taxpayers’ money.
Inflated Costs and Dubious Procurements
The core of the investigation focused on 17 procurements where LDC spent Shs4.648 billion of the budgeted Shs5.1 billion, resulting in a Shs600 million shortfall due to poor procurement planning.
The committee, led by Tororo Woman MP Sarah Opendi, flagged several specific instances of highly questionable spending, which include:
Campus Upgrades
LDC spent a staggering Shs2.3 billion on campus access roads and Shs199 million on remodeling the Kampala campus reception. Opendi questioned the cost-effectiveness of these projects, noting that the “reception remodeling” turned out to be a mere “piece of furniture.”
Lack of Justification
For many of the procurements, including the Shs159 million spent on furniture for the Lira legal aid clinic and the Shs430 million budgeted for Kampala campus renovations, no market surveys were conducted to justify the pricing.
Overlapping Contracts
The committee also uncovered inconsistencies in contracts. A contractor was paid Shs77 million for branding, photography, and videography, only to be paid another Shs75 million for “publicity equipment,” raising red flags about overlapping services and potential fraud.
Accountability on Trial
PAC Chairperson Muwanga Kivumbi expressed his dismay that these issues had gone unnoticed by the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, a body responsible for LDC oversight. He stated that the lack of scrutiny “borders on fraud, if not outright fraud,” indicating the gravity of the allegations.
Mawogola South MP Gorreth Namugga also criticised LDC’s budgeting practices, questioning the competence of its procurement staff for budgeting without knowing the actual costs. The committee’s grilling also highlighted a lack of transparency regarding the use of public funds for a professional dinner.
Opendi questioned whether students or taxpayers funded the event and whether any collected funds were remitted to the consolidated fund, a standard practice for public institutions.
In his defence, former LDC Director Nigel Othembi admitted that some expenditures lacked justification. However, he claimed that the Auditor General’s office did not allow him to clarify the queries before the report was finalised.
Othembi’s claim of being denied access to relevant documents before appearing before the PAC further complicates the matter, suggesting a breakdown in the accountability process.
The findings underscore the urgent need for stricter oversight to prevent financial mismanagement and ensure that public funds are used for their intended purpose.