Aid cut affects LDC projects implementation
LDC director Frank Othembi (L ) talks to Mwebembezi (R) shortly after giving him an air ticket and visa to UK.Looking on is Mwebembezi’s father Emmanuel Banturabusha. PHOTO BY AL-MAHDI SSENKABIRWA.
Kampala
The management of the Law Development Centre has expressed fear that the centre will suffer a setback in implementation of her projects after the Netherlands government suspended its funding following the enactment of the Anti-Homosexuality Act.
The Netherlands, which is a key funder of LDC projects, recently withdrew its funding to the centre at a tune of Euros 1.6 million (about Shs5 billion) after President Museveni assented to the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
LDC spokesperson Hamis Lukyamuzi said the monies were expected to facilitate LDC lecturers to undertake refresher practical legal training and equipping them with pedagogical skills since many simply trained as lawyers.
“We still have hope that they [Netherlands] will lift this ban but if that fails, we will have no option but to use our little internally generated revenue to complete some of the programmes which had already kicked off, ”he said.
LDC collects at least Shs2 billion from students’ course fees which forms part of its entire Shs4 billion annual budget.
Mr Lukyamuzi urged government to consider increasing the LDC resource envelope this coming fiscal year to enable them cover the emerging funding gap. Government usually contributes 29per cent to the LDC budget.
Since 2008, the Netherlands government through its programme for institutional strengthening of post-secondary education and training capacity (NPT) has enabled LDC review the curricula of all its courses, equip some staff with pedagogical skills and improving infrastructure.
Due to the enacting of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, other European Union countries like Norway, and Sweden also individually either suspended or diverted planned development assistance to the Ugandan government.
The US on the other hand is reviewing its overall relationship with Uganda, and has frozen or scaled down some of its interventions .Many organisations, mainly those funded by Western countries have had their operations affected because of the aid cuts.
Mr Lukyamuzi made the disclosure at the weekend during a function at which LDC gave one of its former best students a scholarship to do internship at the prestigious Doughty Street Chambers in UK.
Mr Kenneth Mwebembezi, 25, who graduated from LDC with a post-graduate diploma in legal practice in April will work in UK courts for a month and he is expected to carry back home the best legal practices learnt to inspire young law students.
LDC director Frank Othembi challenged Mr Mwebembezi to exhibit and uphold high professional ethics during his internship and protect the good image of LDC.
