SoL Newsletter: July-September 2026
It gives me great pleasure to
welcome our readers to the third
issue of the Makerere University
School of Law Newsletter for
2026, covering the period July to
September. This edition captures
a particularly vibrant period in
the life of our School and reflects
our continuing commitment to
academic excellence, practical
legal education, research, public
engagement and the holistic
development of our students.
We began the academic year
by welcoming a new cohort of
Bachelor of Laws and Master of
Laws students into the Makerere
University Law School family.
At their orientation, beyond
equipping them with knowledge
to successfully transition into
University life, we reminded them
that the privilege of studying
law carries corresponding
responsibilities: to pursue
excellence, uphold integrity, think
critically and ultimately use their
legal education in the service of
justice and society. I am grateful to
our Chief Guest, retired Justice of
the Court of Appeal Steven Martin
Egonda-Ntende, and my fellow
leaders at the School for setting
this important tone for our new
students.
One of the outstanding highlights
of the quarter was the remarkable
performance of our students in
moot court competitions. At the
35th Christof Heyns All Africa
Human Rights Moot Court
Competition in Abidjan, Côte
d’Ivoire, Makerere finished
as First Runners-Up after
competing against more
than 86 universities from
across Africa. Our team was
also named Best Team in the
Preliminary Rounds and won the
Best Memorial Award, while our
students were ranked among the
competition’s leading oralists.
Closer to home, the School hosted
and won the inaugural Inter-
University Moot Court Competition
on Digital Health, Privacy and Data
Protection. The School also won
the Inaugural Land Law Moot Court
Competition that was hosted by
Nkumba University in partnership
with the Uganda Law Students
Association. These achievements
demonstrate the value of
combining sound academic
instruction with practical training
in research, legal writing, critical
thinking and oral advocacy.
This newsletter also demonstrates
that our mission extends well
beyond the classroom and moot
court. During the quarter, the
School continued to strengthen
teaching and learning, staff
development, research and
scholarly publication, intellectual
engagement and partnerships.
The activities featured in this
edition—including curriculum
mapping for competence-based
education, engagement on
transitional justice, academic and
professional lectures, international
student exchanges, scholarly
publications and recognition of
academic excellence—reflect a
School that continues to grow
while remaining responsive to
contemporary legal and societal
challenges.
I particularly congratulate Professor
Christopher Mbazira on his new
book “Judicial Power, Politics and
Constitutional Transformation in
Uganda: Walking in and Outside
the Constitution”; students whose
articles were recently published
in the Makerere Law Journal
2026; and all our learners whose
academic and co-curricular
achievements are recognised in
this edition. I equally congratulate
colleagues who have earned
promotions and warmly welcome
the new members of staff joining
the School. Our collective strength
lies in the quality, commitment
and diversity of our students,
academic staff, administrative
staff, alumni and partners.
As we celebrate these
accomplishments, we must
regard them not merely as
achievements in themselves, but
as an invitation to aim even higher.
Makerere University School of Law
has a distinguished history and
carries an important responsibility
in Uganda, Africa and beyond.
We must continue producing
graduates who are intellectually
rigorous, professionally
competent, ethically grounded
and committed to justice, human
rights, constitutionalism and the
rule of law.
I extend my sincere appreciation
to the University Management,
our staff and students, alumni,
development partners and friends
of the School for their continued
support. I also thank everyone
whose dedication made the
activities documented in this
newsletter possible.
