Uganda’s legal education system is under fire as top officials raise the alarm over a sharp decline in the quality of training at the Law Development Centre (LDC). The root of the problem? Over-enrolment, overstretched infrastructure, and underprepared students.
Once designed for just 60 students, the LDC is now grappling with an influx of over 3,000 students per intake, a jump that experts say has led to chaos in legal training and a steep drop in performance.
“The pressure is real,” said George Omunyokol, chair of the Law Council’s committee on legal education. “We’re admitting numbers the system was never built to handle.”
Omunyokol was speaking during the Uganda Law Focus Journal Peer Review Summit at LDC, where the theme — Repositioning Legal Education and Training in Uganda — underscored the severity of the current crisis.
3,027 Admitted, Only 30% Graduate On Time
For the 2024/2025 academic year, 3,145 students applied to the Bar Course. 3,027 were admitted. But only about 30% complete the program on their first attempt. The rest are bogged down by resits, retakes, and failed attempts to meet the minimum standards.
Despite efforts like two annual intakes and a fully online instruction cohort, results remain underwhelming.
“We’ve talked enough,” said Dr. Pamela Tibihikirra-Kalyegira, director of LDC. “It’s time to act.”
Online learning, touted as a solution to the overcrowding, has exposed a different crisis — inequality.
A recent survey found that 67% of students cited poor internet as a major barrier to learning, and 33% of staff said the existing online systems were not fit for purpose. Students from underprivileged backgrounds are bearing the brunt.
Even internal departments — from finance to ICT to administration — are buckling under pressure.
“We’re dealing with operational fatigue,” said Omunyokol. “Everything from basic book procurement to inventory is now a mountain to climb.”
With quality slipping, the government is now considering a comeback for pre-entry exams at LDC. A two-day consultative meeting is underway, and debate is heated.
Survey results show a split:
- 65% of students oppose the return of pre-entry exams.
- 65% of LDC staff support the move.
- Overall, 52% of participants think the exams should not return.
Omunyokol insists the exams aren’t about gatekeeping — they’re about ensuring students are truly ready for the rigors of legal practice.
“Are we producing lawyers who will fight for justice — or just chasing paper?” asked Paul Mukiibi, head of law reporting and reform at LDC.
LDC has expanded to Mbarara, Lira, and Mbale, but the strain hasn’t eased. Now, there’s growing consensus that Uganda must make bold, uncomfortable reforms — from stricter admission standards to investment in better infrastructure.
Because at this rate, Uganda risks producing lawyers who can’t draft a demand note — let alone argue in court.
