The Law Development Centre (LDC) started the week’s long orientation program of the new Bar Course Students for the academic year 2018/2019 yesterday.
Most of activities are taking place in the Kampala branch auditorium for both Kampala and Mbarara campus students.
The orientation started on September 24th and it will run until September 28th, 2018 with activities ranging from addresses from the Director of the LDC, Frank Nigel Othembi, Annette Karungi Mutabingwa (head bar course) and department heads. The different sessions are bound to be interactive with students making inquiries and lobbying for clarifications about the bar course about different speculations.
Othembi welcomed the students into the Centre and urged them to be compliant with the rules if they are to pass the bar course without any issues.
He also urged the pioneer students of the Mbarara campus to be comfortable with their allocation of campus stating that anyone dissatisfied with the placement should withdraw his or her admission and try again next academic year where the same random allocation will be conducted to distribute campuses for the students.
Only a few students with genuine reasons for campus transfer were accepted.
The administration made a commitment to give the same treatment to each campus and emphasized that Mbarara was not a separate institution but an extension of a teaching and learning center. The students, Othembi, said would have the same timetables, do the same exams at the same time save for a change in the staff that will be conducting the classes.
The director also mentioned that he personally asked that all his class allocations be transferred to be “fortunate” exclusively Mbarara campus.
The Mbarara branch according to him was a pilot study, before a way could be made about the next campuses in Lira and Mbale.
The director also hinted on the debate whether or not to remove the pre entry examination. According to him, parliament is still conducting consultations from the different stakeholders including LDC before a conclusive decision could be made by the end of this year.