Uganda Development Bank (UDB) Managing Director Patricia Adongo Ojangole has warned newly qualified internal auditors that institutional collapse rarely happens overnight, but is often the result of small failures that accumulate over time.

Ojangole said institutions gradually weaken when risks are ignored, internal controls break down, governance is compromised and ethical standards are eroded by seemingly minor decisions.

She used the analogy to challenge the 28 newly graduated internal auditors to take their profession seriously by identifying risks early, protecting institutional integrity and building systems that can withstand changes in leadership.

“Institutions do not usually collapse in one day,” Ojangole said, urging the new professionals to recognise warning signs before they develop into major failures.

Ojangole drew on nearly two decades of experience in internal auditing, a career that gave her first-hand insight into how institutions operate, where they become vulnerable and what is required to rebuild them.

Speaking to the 28 newly graduated internal auditors, she reflected on lessons from her early career, long before she became Managing Director of UDB.

She said her experience as an internal auditor shaped her understanding of the importance of strong controls, accountability and ethical leadership in sustaining institutions.

Ojangole encouraged the new auditors to go beyond identifying problems and instead become trusted professionals who help organisations prevent failures and strengthen their systems.

She also urged them to build institutions that are not dependent on individual leaders, but are supported by strong systems, sound governance and a culture of integrity.

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