The Law Development Centre (LDC) is urging the Uganda Law Council, responsible for regulating the legal profession, to investigate potentially fraudulent law degrees issued by certain universities. The appeal comes after the LDC observed an unusually high number of students applying for the Bar course.
Head of the Bar Course at LDC, Annet Karungi, made this call while presenting the proposed budget for the financial year 2024/2025 to Parliament’s legal committee. The Gomba West Member of Parliament, Robinah Rwakoojo, sought clarification on complaints from students who claimed to have paid but were not admitted.
Karungi explained that in the current academic year, LDC received 3,000 applications, surpassing the expected 1,800. Consequently, the center admitted 2,417 students across its four campuses. She assured MPs that no student was denied admission but acknowledged that due to an abundance of first-class and second-class upper degrees from specific universities, they could only admit 60% of applicants from each university. The remaining applicants are expected to enroll in the next academic year.
Responding to queries about the legitimacy of these degrees, Karungi expressed hope that the law council would address the issue. She noted a pattern where students with top-notch degrees did not necessarily perform as expected and often ended up repeating various subjects, causing congestion in the system.
Usuk County MP John Bosco Okiror and Bunyole East MP Yusuf Mutembule raised concerns about verifying the authenticity of the admitted students’ degrees. Karungi explained that they rely on the law council to address this concern and ensure the credibility of the academic qualifications held by the students.
