Empowering a Future Advocate for Justice in Uganda

Aim

The fundraiser target of £765 will fund the Diploma in Legal Practice, empowering me to become an advocate for justice.

My name is Kenneth Ochola. I am 25 years old. In June 2026, I expect to graduate from law school with a Bachelor of Laws degree. I went to university out of a burning desire for to work for justice, and that vision only grows stronger. 

Getting here has not been straightforward. I come from a challenging family background. No-one expected me to succeed. Every semester of this degree has been funded through the generosity of donors. Every penny given to me has mattered. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me over these four years. Your kindness has been a beacon of hope on this journey.

But I am not finished yet.

To practise as an advocate in Uganda, a law degree alone is not enough. I need to complete the Diploma in Legal Practice at the Law Development Centre. This 12-month course begins January 2027 and the tuition costs £1,600, spread across three terms. On top of that, there are reading materials, professional clothing, and accommodation to consider, since the Centre assigns students to branches across the country. This is beyond what my family and I can afford.

While I have been studying, I have not been waiting. Over the past year, I have been working with a team of young changemakers in Kampala on a project to prevent violence in schools. We have visited primary schools across the city, training teachers to resolve disputes without violence, and equipping pupils with the skills to identify and report it. That work is ongoing. https://youtu.be/83noItcCu0U?si=-ch470pWr_Sp_IAw

I have also been campaigning against mob justice in my own community — a place where it is common practice for teenagers caught stealing to be beaten to death. Every year, there is another incident. I could not stay silent about it.

These are not things I was asked to do. They are things I believe matter. They are the reason I study and want to practise as an advocate. 

My deepest future ambition is to establish the Freeman Campaign — an NGO dedicated to defending the rights and freedoms of vulnerable communities through public interest litigation and legal aid outreach. I want to take on human rights cases for people who cannot access justice themselves, and to run educational campaigns so that communities know and can assert their legal rights.

I am asking for your help to reach that goal. Please consider donating to my fundraiser — anything you can give brings me closer to completing my studies and beginning the work I was always meant to do. 

If you would like to support me and want to know more about my character and background, please contact Ben Parkinson, Director of the Chrysalis School Uganda, https://www.chrysalisschool.org/ 

Thank you.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made