Uganda Christian University (UCU) has been crowned winner of the 2025 Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition after edging out the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) in the national final.
The two-day event, held at UCU’s Main Campus in Mukono, brought together law students from across the country to debate emerging issues of data protection and privacy in Uganda’s digital era.
Represented by Sandra Ajambo and Heather Stacey Kutamba from the School of Law, UCU beat IUIU to claim the national title.
The university also scooped two additional honors: Best Memorial (written submissions) and Best Oralist, the latter awarded to Ajambo.
Ajambo described the competition as a timely platform in today’s digital landscape.
“In Uganda and across partner states, technology is advancing at a radical pace. With this progress come risks and potential breaches that threaten the right to privacy. This moot teaches us to analyze these risks and propose practical solutions rooted in real issues that affect our region,” she said, urging other students to embrace the contest.
As national champions, UCU secured a cash prize of $1,500 (about UGX 5.5 million) and will represent Uganda at the East African regional finals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where they will face teams from Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda.
Winners at the regional level will advance to Lagos, Nigeria, for a continental data protection forum.
UCU Vice Chancellor Dr. Aaron Mushengyezi congratulated the students and encouraged participants to see the moot as more than a contest.
“My own scholarship experiences taught me that excellence, preparation, and persistence open doors,” he said, urging students to embrace resilience, integrity, and lifelong learning through such platforms.
Themed around the application of data privacy rights within Uganda’s national ID system, the competition tasked students with interrogating the implications of personal data collection.
Allan Ssempala Kigozi, Programs Manager at Unwanted Witness, noted that the moot’s cases mirrored real-life dilemmas in Uganda’s evolving digital space.
He emphasized that the exercise equips students with practical legal skills to safeguard privacy rights.
Founded in 2012, Unwanted Witness is a civil society organization that promotes digital rights, online freedom of expression, and secure digital spaces.
Its partnership with UCU has elevated the Privacy Moot Court into a premier platform for nurturing Uganda’s next generation of digital rights lawyers.
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