Lydia Kakooza
Senior Associate
Expertise
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Commercial Transactions
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Intellectual Property
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Banking and Finance
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Restructuring
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Energy Law, Infrastructure & Public- Private Partnerships
Contacts
lkakooza@kaa.co.ug
Direct line No.: +256312244120
Professional Qualifications
• Master of Laws (LLM) degree, from the College of Law, University of Illinois, USA
• Master of Arts (MA) degree in Planning and Sustainability from Kingston University London
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Hons) from School of Law, Makerere University, Kampala
• Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre, Kampala
Profile Summary
Lydia Kakooza is a dual qualified Attorney and Urban-Regional Planner. She is a Graduate of the College of Law, University of Illinois, USA where she obtained a Master of Laws (LLM) degree, specializing in Commercial Law. She also holds a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Planning and Sustainability from Kingston University, London, (UK) specializing in urban-regional development Planning. She has a Second-Class Upper Honors Degree in Law from the School of Law, Makerere University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre. She is enrolled as an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda and all courts subordinate.
She has also undertaken professional training courses in Public Private Partnerships, FIDIC, Renewable Energy Management and Finance, Arbitration and Adjudication.
Lydia is currently a Senior Associate at Kampala Associated Advocates, having previously worked at Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited’s (UETCL) legal department for seven years. While at UETCL, she participated in several energy transactions including the negotiation of power purchase/sales, and related agreements. She participated in negotiation of financing documents and the bidding process for electricity transmission infrastructure; implementation of EPC contracts; management of construction disputes and claims; land acquisition; social-environmental aspects of projects, inclusive of projects funded by DFIs like AFDB, KFW, AFD and JBIC.
Lydia has legal expertise related to planning, structuring, procurement, implementation and negotiation of project and transactional documents. She has specialty in the handling of Energy, Construction claims and disputes, and works closely with clients to offer a full range of legal services in support of projects.
Lydia has wide-ranging experience in research, management and adult education from years of working within various academic institutions and adult learning centres in Uganda, United Kingdom and USA. She has most recently worked at the School of Law, Uganda Christian University, where she taught courses in Land Transactions, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Energy Law to Graduate and Undergraduate Law students.
She is motivated by her love for the Natural and the Built Environment and advocates for sustainable infrastructure and lifelong learning as the key part of transforming communities and achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Employment History
2024 -Present: Kampala Associated Advocates- Senior Associate
2016- 2022: Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd – Legal Compliance Officer
2015 – 2024: Uganda Christian University, Mukono, Uganda – Lecturer
2013 – 2014: University of Illinois, College of Law, Champaign, IL. U.S.A – Researcher
Top Matters
- Participated in successfully defending a utility against a number of Contractor claims worth a combined total of over USD$20,000,000.
- Was part of the team that successfully defended a utility during Expert Determination against an IPP’s claim for deemed Energy worth USD$15,000,000.
- Successfully represented a Utility in various forums during Adjudication and Arbitration, in a number of transmission infrastructure related disputes, worth over USD$ 3,000,000.
- Participated in the establishment of a framework that operationalized the use of Wheeling Agreements between UETCL and Independent Power Distributors and was involved in the negotiation and drafting of wheeling Agreements between UETCL, Kenya and Rwanda.
- Participated in the drafting of the Power Purchase Agreement between UETCL and Kikagati Power Company Limited and the Power Sales and Sharing Agreement between UETCL and TANESCO of Tanzania, Rwanda Energy Group, and SNEL of Congo.
- Participated in the negotiation and drafting of a Power Exchange Agreement between UETCL and Kenya Power and Lighting Company of Kenya.
- Was part of a team that successfully negotiated, drafted and reviewed terms of a number of high value Power Purchase Agreements, inclusive but not limited to:
- Mini Hydro, and, inclusive but not limited to Apre PPA, (83 MW), Kikagati Hydro Power Project (16 MW), Kilembe Mine Ltd /Mobuku 1/Tibet/Hima 1 (5MW), Hydromax (Nkusi) PPA (4.8), Eco Clean Power Highdro PPA (7.2 MW), Emerging Power Ltd (4.5 MW). Timex Bukinda & UETCL, Rwenkuba Electricity Company Limited PPA, Eco Clean Power Limited PPA, WENRECO PPA, Achwa Hydro PPA.
- Solar Power Generation Plant at Kasipodos Tororo District (10 MW), between UETCL and Tororo Solar North Limited.
- Thermal Power Plants such as ALBATROS – thermal power plant PPA.
- Involved in the negotiation and drafting of a high value Service Level Agreement between UETCL and a regional telecommunications company for the use of optic fiber cables.
- Participated in the procurement process of EPC contracts and related project infrastructure – provided legal compliance, tendering, due diligence, contract negotiation, evaluation of bids, and contract award.
- Advised Makindye Ssaabagabo Municipality during the procurement, land acquisition and implementation of a major road network worth over a billion Ugandan Shillings.
- Advised a local government on the suitability of using a Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework for the development of an incubation center worth millions of Uganda Shillings.
OTHER CERTIFICATIONS:
- Practice & Procedure of Construction Adjudication, Charted Institute of Arbitrators (UK) (2023).
- Introduction to domestic Arbitration – (Ciarb) (Kenya Branch) (2022).
- Drafting Arbitration Awards – Centre for Arbitration and Mediation in Kampala (ICAMEK).
- Construction Claims Management and Dispute Resolution – (ICAMEK) (2021).
- Professional Expert Certificate in Renewable Energy -The Renewable Energy Institute (UK) (2021).
- Dispute Resolution in Infrastructure Contracts – Ministry of Energy Training Facility, Cairo, Egypt (2018).
- MOOC Training on (PPPs) – The World Bank Group, (2015).
AFFILIATIONS
- Member of Chartered Institute of Arbitration, UK
- Member – Uganda Law Society.
- Member of Adjudication Society of UK
Lydia Kakooza is a dual qualified Attorney and Urban-Regional Planner. She is a Graduate of the College of Law, University of Illinois, USA where she obtained a Master of Laws (LLM) degree, specializing in Commercial Law. She also holds a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Planning and Sustainability from Kingston University, London, (UK) specializing in urban-regional development Planning. She has a Second-Class Upper Honors Degree in Law from the School of Law, Makerere University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre. She is enrolled as an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda and all courts subordinate.
She has also undertaken professional training courses in Public Private Partnerships, FIDIC, Renewable Energy Management and Finance, Arbitration and Adjudication.
Lydia is currently a Senior Associate at Kampala Associated Advocates, having previously worked at Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited’s (UETCL) legal department for seven years. While at UETCL, she participated in several energy transactions including the negotiation of power purchase/sales, and related agreements. She participated in negotiation of financing documents and the bidding process for electricity transmission infrastructure; implementation of EPC contracts; management of construction disputes and claims; land acquisition; social-environmental aspects of projects, inclusive of projects funded by DFIs like AFDB, KFW, AFD and JBIC.
Lydia has legal expertise related to planning, structuring, procurement, implementation and negotiation of project and transactional documents. She has specialty in the handling of Energy, Construction claims and disputes, and works closely with clients to offer a full range of legal services in support of projects.
Lydia has wide-ranging experience in research, management and adult education from years of working within various academic institutions and adult learning centres in Uganda, United Kingdom and USA. She has most recently worked at the School of Law, Uganda Christian University, where she taught courses in Land Transactions, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Energy Law to Graduate and Undergraduate Law students.
She is motivated by her love for the Natural and the Built Environment and advocates for sustainable infrastructure and lifelong learning as the key part of transforming communities and achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Employment History
2024 -Present: Kampala Associated Advocates- Senior Associate
2016- 2022: Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd – Legal Compliance Officer
2015 – 2024: Uganda Christian University, Mukono, Uganda – Lecturer
2013 – 2014: University of Illinois, College of Law, Champaign, IL. U.S.A – Researcher
Top Matters
- Participated in successfully defending a utility against a number of Contractor claims worth a combined total of over USD$20,000,000.
- Was part of the team that successfully defended a utility during Expert Determination against an IPP’s claim for deemed Energy worth USD$15,000,000.
- Successfully represented a Utility in various forums during Adjudication and Arbitration, in a number of transmission infrastructure related disputes, worth over USD$ 3,000,000.
- Participated in the establishment of a framework that operationalized the use of Wheeling Agreements between UETCL and Independent Power Distributors and was involved in the negotiation and drafting of wheeling Agreements between UETCL, Kenya and Rwanda.
- Participated in the drafting of the Power Purchase Agreement between UETCL and Kikagati Power Company Limited and the Power Sales and Sharing Agreement between UETCL and TANESCO of Tanzania, Rwanda Energy Group, and SNEL of Congo.
- Participated in the negotiation and drafting of a Power Exchange Agreement between UETCL and Kenya Power and Lighting Company of Kenya.
- Was part of a team that successfully negotiated, drafted and reviewed terms of a number of high value Power Purchase Agreements, inclusive but not limited to:
- Mini Hydro, and, inclusive but not limited to Apre PPA, (83 MW), Kikagati Hydro Power Project (16 MW), Kilembe Mine Ltd /Mobuku 1/Tibet/Hima 1 (5MW), Hydromax (Nkusi) PPA (4.8), Eco Clean Power Highdro PPA (7.2 MW), Emerging Power Ltd (4.5 MW). Timex Bukinda & UETCL, Rwenkuba Electricity Company Limited PPA, Eco Clean Power Limited PPA, WENRECO PPA, Achwa Hydro PPA.
- Solar Power Generation Plant at Kasipodos Tororo District (10 MW), between UETCL and Tororo Solar North Limited.
- Thermal Power Plants such as ALBATROS – thermal power plant PPA.
- Involved in the negotiation and drafting of a high value Service Level Agreement between UETCL and a regional telecommunications company for the use of optic fiber cables.
- Participated in the procurement process of EPC contracts and related project infrastructure – provided legal compliance, tendering, due diligence, contract negotiation, evaluation of bids, and contract award.
- Advised Makindye Ssaabagabo Municipality during the procurement, land acquisition and implementation of a major road network worth over a billion Ugandan Shillings.
- Advised a local government on the suitability of using a Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework for the development of an incubation center worth millions of Uganda Shillings.
OTHER CERTIFICATIONS:
- Practice & Procedure of Construction Adjudication, Charted Institute of Arbitrators (UK) (2023).
- Introduction to domestic Arbitration – (Ciarb) (Kenya Branch) (2022).
- Drafting Arbitration Awards – Centre for Arbitration and Mediation in Kampala (ICAMEK).
- Construction Claims Management and Dispute Resolution – (ICAMEK) (2021).
- Professional Expert Certificate in Renewable Energy -The Renewable Energy Institute (UK) (2021).
- Dispute Resolution in Infrastructure Contracts – Ministry of Energy Training Facility, Cairo, Egypt (2018).
- MOOC Training on (PPPs) – The World Bank Group, (2015).
AFFILIATIONS
- Member of Chartered Institute of Arbitration, UK
- Member – Uganda Law Society.
- Member of Adjudication Society of UK
