UCU wins inaugural inter-university mock court competitions
At the closing ceremony, Justice Musa Sekaana, who represented the Deputy Chief Justice as guest of honour, challenged the students to view the law as a profession carrying a wider responsibility to society.
The students mimicked proceedings before a higher appellate court, presenting a fictional case based on a fixed set of facts. (Courtesy photo)
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Uganda Christian University (UCU) has emerged as the overall winner of the inaugural Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) National Inter-University Moot Court Competition, taking home a cash prize of sh1m.
Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) emerged first runners-up, while Metropolitan University finished second runners-up at the competition, which brought together law students from 16 universities to test their advocacy, legal research and understanding of equality and non-discrimination law.
Rebecca Wamboka was named the competition's best orator, after impressing the judges with her confidence and ability to respond to questions from the bench.
The two-day competition, held under the theme “Advancing Equality, Dignity and Inclusion through Law and Justice,” started at Kingdom Kampala on Wednesday and concluded on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the Supreme Court in Kampala.
At the closing ceremony, Justice Musa Sekaana, who represented the Deputy Chief Justice as guest of honour, challenged the students to view the law as a profession carrying a wider responsibility to society.
“The law carries a profound responsibility to protect dignity and make justice accessible to all. We must continue creating spaces where young lawyers develop not only advocacy skills but also an understanding of the human and constitutional values that give law its purpose,” Sekaana said.
The EOC, which organised the competition, assumed the powers of a High Court and constituted a four-member bench comprising Justices Lillian Tebatemwa, Mike Kibita, Christopher Izama and Sekaana.
The students mimicked proceedings before a higher appellate court, presenting a fictional case based on a fixed set of facts.
They acted as advocates, making oral submissions before the bench and responding to rapid questions from the judges.
The fictional case required the students to confront issues including discrimination concealed within seemingly neutral institutional policies, decisions that may appear neutral but produce unequal consequences, disability-related barriers in education and examinations, stigma and public communication, and affirmative action.
Sekaana said such competitions help bridge the gap between legal education and the administration of justice by giving students practical experience that cannot be obtained from textbooks alone.
He commended the EOC for bringing questions of equality, discrimination and inclusion into legal education, saying the legal profession requires practitioners who can understand and apply equality principles through effective remedies and practical outcomes.
The competition also built on calls made at its launch for young lawyers to develop practical approaches to resolving disputes and expanding access to justice.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Jennipher Achaloi, Field Programme Coordinator at the International Development Law Organisation (IDLO), said Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) could complement formal court processes, particularly where dialogue may provide a more sustainable solution than litigation.
“Some realities will require that you sit down with the parties and have a dialogue, rather than run to court,” Achaloi said.
Uganda currently has 167,353 cases pending across all court levels with 46,542 cases classified as backlog (pending over two years), representing 27.81% of the total pending caseload in the Ugandan court system.
Lawyers to protect Equal Opportunities in society
Lady Justice Olive Kazaarwe Mukwaya, president of the Uganda Judicial Officers Association, told the students that lawyers have a responsibility to protect vulnerable people and promote equal opportunities.
“As lawyers, we should be the mouthpiece for those who can't speak,” she said.
Legal training not hypothesis
Anthony Asiimwe, vice-president of the Uganda Law Society, said the competition should expose students to the experiences of people facing discrimination, marginalisation and barriers to justice, rather than limiting legal training to hypothetical cases.
The EOC said the competition was designed to sharpen students' advocacy, research and legal reasoning skills while exposing them to practical questions surrounding equality, dignity, inclusion and access to justice.
Door opener
Sekaana urged the students to carry the lessons from the competition into their professional careers, whether as advocates, judicial officers, academics, public servants or institutional leaders.
He said the goal of such initiatives should go beyond producing winners and help develop lawyers capable of defending equality, protecting dignity and making justice accessible through the law.
Other participating universities included Makerere University, Kampala University, King Ceasor University and Muteesa 1 Royal University, among others.