Head Bar Course at Law Development Centre (LDC), Annet Karungi, has attributed the persistently high failure rates among students to inadequate training and skills acquired during their university education.
Karungi expressed concerns that the nine-month duration at LDC is insufficient to bridge the knowledge and skills gaps inherited from various universities.
Speaking before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee while defending the 2024/25 ministerial policy statement, Karungi revealed the diverse academic backgrounds of students admitted from 14 universities, both local and international.
She said the significant disparities in curricula and academic standards across institutions, complicating efforts to address students’ varying levels of preparedness.
“The justification or the reason why we don’t have 80% students passing, you will appreciate that we get these students from the different Universities. The grounding is extremely different, the curriculum at the different Universities is really different and I think this is a concern we have always raised as an Institution. At the moment we admit students from 14 Universities both within and outside the country, many of them have knowledge gaps, so it isn’t really easy for us as an institution to use the 9 months to make sure that we address the knowledge and skills gap. This is one of the reasons we still have this kind of percentage,” said Karungi.
Additionally, Member of Parliament Fox Odoi (West Budama North East) raised concerns about the lack of detailed performance information provided by LDC to Parliament. He noted the importance of transparency regarding student outcomes, calling for the inclusion of data on examination results, including passes, supplementary exams, and failures.
“They reported that they trained 2000 students but where is the detail? I think in terms of law, we needed to see the number of students who passed examinations at first instance, the ones who did supplementary the ones who failed, that is the sticky issue year in, year out,” remarked Odoi.
In addition to its flagship Bar Course, the LDC provides the Diploma in Law for paralegal training and offers short courses catering to specific legal needs. The institution plays a significant role in shaping Uganda’s legal landscape and producing skilled legal professionals.
It is administered through various departments including Library, Finance, Research and Publications, Legal Education, Law Reporting, and Law.
Over the years, the LDC has faced challenges such as high student failure rates, prompting reforms in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice and the Uganda Law Society.
The institution collaborates with several Ugandan universities, including Makerere University and Uganda Christian University, for student admissions. Courses offered range from core subjects like Criminal Procedure and Civil Procedure to specialized areas such as Advocacy and Legislative Drafting.
Notable alumni of the Law Development Centre include prominent figures in Ugandan politics, law, and public service such as Rebecca Kadaga, Bart Magunda Katureebe, and Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine.
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