opinion 21 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Defending LDC: Why Scrapping Uganda's Law Training Hub Would Betray Our Standards
A passionate op-ed warns against government plans to abolish or dilute the Law Development Centre (LDC), arguing it serves as a vital crucible for forging competent advocates with uniform standards. The author shares personal anecdotes to highlight LDC's rigorous value, cautioning that handing training to universities risks undermining the legal profession's integrity. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/oped/commentary/want-to-abolish-ldc-o-foolish-ugandans-who-hath-bewitched-you--5397218
The Law Development Centre (LDC) in Uganda stands as a rigorous institution that shapes lawyers through intense, practical training, far beyond mere academics. Advocate Gawaya Tegulle recounts personal stories from his early parenthood days, when LDC’s demanding workload left him so immersed that he once raced to pick up his children on a public holiday and another time overlooked his toddler son at a school event.
These tales illustrate LDC’s ‘burning fiery furnace’ intensity, which forges unbreakable professionals. Clients trust LDC graduates without needing CVs, as the centre ensures nationwide uniform standards, shared legal culture, and reliable competence.
Tegulle criticizes the government’s push to scrap LDC and shift bar course training to universities. He shares a disturbing observation of a top law professor marking over 100 scripts in just 20 minutes with lenient grades, hinting at broader quality issues under the ‘cockroach theory’—one flaw signals many more.
While LDC isn’t flawless and has high failure rates, these affirm its high standards rather than expose weaknesses. As the final gatekeeper of professional integrity, LDC transforms knowledge into courtroom-ready skills like accurate legal analysis, ethical practice, and competent advocacy.
Diluting LDC in the name of access would turn the legal field into a ‘marketplace of degrees,’ eroding discipline. Tegulle urges preserving such pillars amid Uganda’s eroding standards, asking: ‘O foolish Ugandans, who hath bewitched you?’
Source: Daily Monitor