By Eriah Lule
A display of national and international moot competition trophies and certificates, Fulbright scholars, and visiting professors to Uganda Christian University’s (UCU) school of law justifies the many law alumni thriving on the national and international scene.
The retired Rt. Rev. Dr. Dunstan Kopoliano Bukenya, the first University Secretary (equivalent to the current DVC Finance and Administration), had a vision for UCU’s Law program to be ranked and recognized among the best on a National and International level.
Scratching his thick black mustache and mumbling in his baritone voice, perusing through files in his wooden office at Bishop Tucker Building above his boss’s office, Bishop Eliphaz Maari the then acting Vice Chancellor from 1997-2000. Bukenya got a vision to establish ‘a law program that would diffuse the legal practicum with Christian ethics and values’.
Many of his pioneering colleagues were skeptical of his vision. “Their concerns were understandable, because running a law course necessitates a number of steps that other courses do not, and they wondered whether the Law Development Center (LDC) would allow our students to be trained there,” he explained.
“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals; adjust the action steps.” Confucius a Chinese philosopher.
Bukenya did as the saying goes; according to him, the only advantage at the time was the country’s abundance of experts in the field of legal training, who were a darling to then Bishop Tucker and would lend their support to bear and carry this dream.
Given his position as the University secretary and a former staff member of Bishop Tucker, Bukenya approached the Faculty Head of Law at Makerere University at the time, Prof. Fredrick Juuko, Dar es Salaam University School of Law, and Dr. Elijah Wante, Head of LDC. Their receptive attitude towards UCU’s proposal was unquestionable and helped the infant university bear the vision, but this was possible through the help of then-UCU’s legal officer and former Attorney General, the late Peter Nyombi.
During the Bishop Tucker Building’s 100th anniversary celebration, the first University Academic Registrar (equivalent to the current DVC Academics) Rev.Canon.Dr. Alex Kagume noted that people with Bukenya’s character are amazing; for them, they are not board room leaders but action-based.
Kagume will never forget one cold evening when he passed by to check on a friend whose office light was still on and it was getting late; to his surprise, Bukenya was covered in books, alone in his office, writing the Law Curriculum.
“Bukenya was busy writing the law curriculum without a legal background in his office alone,” he said. “Many of us feel proud of him that his vision stands to bear fruit.”
“I needed a little faith, but with the goodwill of the experts, the course was finally in place at UCU, and in 1998, with Prof. John Ntambirweki as the first Dean, the first group of students were admitted, and a committed staff was recruited as well,” Bukenya said.
The Dean of the School of Law, Dr. Peter Mutesasira, lives to hold the vision; according to him, the school has equipped students with all spheres of life perspectives. It’s no longer news that the school is now recognized on national and international stages.
The school receives 2000–3000 applicants every intake, but through pre-entry exams, 500–600 students are admitted. The Hamu-Mukasa library’s second floor was reserved for the school, which has helped expand its infrastructure and capacity building for the students and staff embarking on research.
“It’s amazing, but currently, universities seeking to start the law program or accreditation from the National Council are asked to pay a visit to our library,” said Mutesasira. “This proves the brand we have set and how it has been recognized over time.”
According to Mutesasira, UCU introduced pre-entry examinations, a mark that other institutions copied, although it was challenging. It was to set the bar and sieve for a quality brand no wonder the school has 90 staf mem.
“Yes, indeed, we have many of our alumni who own firms, are judges, politicians, public servants, and others who lead organizations,” he added.
During their alumni celebrations, Arthurton Kukundakwe, the Deputy Secretary General of the Uganda Association of Prosecutors, and the state prosecutor of Nakaseke District revealed that the Christian values embedded in the law program have helped to groom many professionals with the high integrity they profess in the field.
“Our actions and conduct on the field have over time reflected our alma mater’s vision,” he said, adding that it’s “no longer surprising” that the school is growing at such a rapid pace.
Background
Dr. Dustan Kopoliano Bukenya is a retired bishop who served as the third Bishop of Mityana Diocese from 2002 to 2008, when he handed over to His Grace Stephen Kazimba Mugalu, the current Archbishop of Uganda.
Born to Misaeri and Deborah Nsamba Bukenya of Kyankwanzi District in the central part of the country, Bukenya is the firstborn of the couple’s six children.
Bukenya has been married to Lady Lay Canon Phebe Bukenya for 52 years, and the couple has four children and ten grandchildren.
