Makerere University School of Law Finishes Second at 35th Christof Heyns All Africa Human Rights Moot Competition
Makerere University School of Law (SoL) recorded an outstanding performance at the 35th Christof Heyns All Africa Human Rights Moot Court Competition, finishing as 1st Runners-Up in the week-long competition held at the Institut Universitaire d’Abidjan in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from 26 July to 2 August 2026.
Hosted by the University of Pretoria Centre for Human Rights, the competition brought together more than 86 universities from across Africa, making it one of the continent’s largest and most prestigious human rights moot court competitions.
Makerere University was represented by Owen Mayanja, LLB III student, and Conrad Akesigaruhanga, LLB I student. The team delivered an exceptional performance throughout the competition, advancing through a highly competitive field and ultimately reaching the final. Dr. Daniel Ruhweza, Head – Law and Jurisprudence who also serves as Coordinator Mooting at SoL travelled with the team to Abidjan.
The team’s performance was recognised with several major awards. Makerere was named Best Team in the Preliminary Rounds and received the Best Memorial award for the quality of its written submissions. In the individual oral advocacy rankings, Owen and Conrad were ranked 5th and 7th Best Oralist respectively in the competition.
Reaching the finals placed the Makerere team before an eminent bench comprising distinguished African Justices of the African Court and members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, providing the students with invaluable exposure to human rights advocacy and litigation at the continental level. The competition also offered an opportunity to engage with law students, academics, legal practitioners, and members of regional human rights institutions from across Africa.
The achievement is a significant milestone for the SoL and reflects the strength of its students in legal research, writing, oral skills, and critical thinking. It also underscores the School’s commitment to equipping students with the skills required to engage confidently with complex legal questions.
A Journey of Preparation, Resilience and Growth
For the Makerere team, the competition was the culmination of months of intensive preparation involving research, drafting and redrafting written submissions, and rigorous oral advocacy practice.
Reflecting on the experience, Owen Mayanja described the competition as an opportunity to test himself against some of the strongest law students on the continent.
“Participating in the Christof Heyns African Human Rights Moot was an opportunity to test myself against some of the best law students on the continent. From qualifying through our internal moot to months of researching, drafting, and rigorous oral practice, the preparation was intense.”
He noted, “My biggest challenge was learning to distil complex human rights arguments into concise and compelling submissions without losing legal rigour, and relentless practice helped us overcome that.”
Owen added “Standing before such a distinguished bench of African Judges in the final was a defining moment. Finishing as 1st Runners-Up, winning Best Memorial and Best Team in the Preliminary Rounds, and being recognised among the top oralists among over 86 teams was deeply affirming, not just for us, but for Makerere.”
He said the experience reinforced two important lessons: perseverance and the ability to embrace pressure. “The experience taught me two things: never give up, and embrace pressure. The pressure pushed me beyond my limits and helped me grow. My advice to students is simple: know that it will be hard, but do not let that stop you—the difficulty is what makes the experience worthwhile.”
Mayanja also expressed gratitude to his teammate, coaches, the SoL Mooting Society, SoL administration and other individuals who supported his mooting journey. “I am grateful beyond measure to Conrad, the steadiest counsel I could have stood beside; to our coaches, Kalinda Jamada, Ruth Muhawe and Sabiti Edwin, for the constant feedback during our preparations; to our Patron, Dr. Daniel Ruhweza, to John Baptist Katende, Chairperson Makerere Mooting Society and the entire Makerere University School of Law community for the honour of carrying its name.”
He made special mention of Calvin David Mukiibi, whom he described as having played a longstanding role in his development as a mooter. “He has been part of my mooting journey from my very first competition to this one. He gave up his time again and again, kept believing even when things didn’t come our way in many of the competitions. A lot of what I am proud of in this journey was built in those moments, the ones that never made it here. Thank you for being consistently there through it all. This win is yours as much as anybody else’.”
Learning beyond the Classroom
For Conrad Akesigaruhanga, participating in the Christof Heynes All Africa Moot Competition provided an opportunity to extend his learning beyond the classroom and engage with human rights questions from a broader African perspective. He said, “Participating in the All-Africa Moot challenged me to grow beyond the classroom, sharpen my oral skills, and engage with human rights issues from a broader African perspective.”
As a first-year law student, Akesigaruhanga said the experience demonstrated the importance of preparation, teamwork and resilience. “The journey demanded extensive research, preparation, teamwork, and resilience, but it taught me that thorough preparation builds confidence and enables you to think on your feet under pressure.”
One of his most memorable experiences was making submissions before members of Africa’s regional human rights institutions. He noted that, “one of the most memorable moments was making submissions before Justices of the African Court and members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. It was a full-circle moment that reminded me that human rights are not merely abstract legal concepts—they are lived realities.”
Akesigaruhanga described receiving the award as both fulfilling and humbling, noting that the experience represented not only the team’s achievement but also his personal growth in confidence and advocacy. He thanked those who supported his journey, “I am deeply grateful to my teammate Owen, our coaches, the Mooting Society, Dr. Ruhweza, and the SoL Administration for their support.”
Conrad’s advice to fellow students is to begin early, understand rather than memorise the law, and remain open to challenging questions. He said, “Start early, understand the law rather than memorising it, embrace difficult questions, and trust the process. Mooting is not only about winning; it is about becoming a better advocate and learning to believe in your preparation.”
SoL Commends the Team
The success of the team can be attributed to the support and guidance of the SoL Administration led by the Dean – Professor Ronald Naluwairo, the Mooting Society, the coaches, and the Mooting Coordinator/Patron, Dr. Daniel Ruhweza.
Dr. Ruhweza, who travelled with the team to Abidjan, commended the students for their achievement, particularly Akesigaruhanga’s performance as a first-year student. “I am proud of them. Conrad is just in his first year of study. Beating over 80 other teams in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, is impressive.”
The strong showing in Abidjan underscores SoL’ place among the leading law schools on the African continent. More importantly, the achievement demonstrates the value of practical legal education in developing students who can conduct rigorous research, construct persuasive legal arguments, advocate effectively, and engage confidently with complex legal issues.
The Dean, staff and students of the SoL congratulate Owen Mayanja and Conrad Akesigaruhanga on their remarkable achievement and commends Dr. Ruhweza, the coaches, the Mooting Society for the support during preparations. They also thank the University Management for contributing to the team’s success through provision of finances and an enabling environment.
