By Eriah Lule
Okia Emmanuel, who received an impressive 12 points in his Advanced Level combination of Biology, Chemistry, Math, and Information Technology (BCM/IT), originally intended to study medicine at university. However, a career talk given by Counsel Mathias Ssekatawa, an alumnus of Okia’s high school, St. Mary’s College Kisubi, sparked a newfound passion for the legal profession in Okia.
As Counsel Ssekatawa spoke passionately about the law, Okia was inspired and captivated by the possibilities and impact that a career in the legal field could offer. This meeting with Counsel Ssekatawa was a watershed moment for Okia, who decided to pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer as a result of the motivation and guidance he received from Counsel Ssekatawa.
To the parents who supported their son, during this kind of hard transition, don’t regret as he emerged as the overall best student at the Law Development Center (LDC) with a CGPA of 4.90 and as well was at the top of his class in 2021 at Uganda Christian University (UCU) with a first-class CGPA of 4.4.
In the recently released Law Development Center final examination results, students who graduated from Uganda Christian University (UCU) topped the list of first-class graduates.
Out of the total number of 20 first class degrees from the bar course, at least nine had gone through the UCU’s law school. The rest, according to the list, are from across the universities.
In one of his engagements, the Dean School of Law at UCU, Dr. Peter Mutesasira, noted that the institution is determined to holistically equip its students with both academic and other skills that would enable them to be good ambassadors for the university.
“We as the school teach as well as equip our students with inside and outside the classroom knowledge; the way they use their knowledge justifies the work we do”, he said. “We committed to producing a fine product for Uganda’s legal field.”
In September 2017, instead of Okia applying for a medical course, he instead applied for the law and excelled well in his pre-entry; little of his classmates knew his secret that he had a science background.
“I didn’t comfortably see medicine as my calling; I thought if I went all in with it, it wouldn’t work in the end,” he said. “Counselor Ssekatawa’s talk triggered me and channeled me; I quit sciences for law.”
The 24-year-old is determined to establish himself as a corporate and commercial lawyer so he can contribute to the jurisprudence of the country. In order to be one, Okia completed his Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) certificate level one and is currently pursuing his certification with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Okia believes that to be a commercial lawyer, one needs to have such a background so that you can advise your clients on issues you are well informed on.
Lawyers like Mbaziira Anthony and Masembe Kanyelezi don’t only inspire him; they are a source of motivation for his hard work.
Many testify of the pressure at the bar (LDC), but Okia’s experience was different as he decided to strike a balance between academics and other commitments, including co-curricular activities.
“The pressure that comes with the bar is a lot; you basically learn things you learned for 4 years at your degree in months”, he said “For me, I resorted to doing everything at its particular moment”.
Okia intends to practice law and believes that in the next 5 years, he will have started teaching, since many of his colleagues have benefited from the way he breaks down complex issues.
He served in the UCU Guild government in 2018–2019 as the clerk to parliament and as the minister of education in 2021–2022, both in the LDC Guild government at the Mbarara Campus.
Okia is born to Okurut Alex, an accountant, and Katalikako Esther, a teacher in Butebo District, formerly part of Pallisa District.
