Makerere University Retains Annual CEHURD Moot Competition Trophy

Those who were lucky enough to witness this competition, referred to it as a battle of brains. This was the 5^th Annual National Inter-University Moot Competition as organized by Centre for Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), an N.G.O founded in 2007.

The formation of CEHURD is premised on the desire to contribute towards ensuring that laws and policies are used to promote and protect health and human rights of people in Uganda and East Africa at large through research, advocacy, community empowerment and strategic litigation. The moot court Competition is only one of the many ways they have tried to achieve these goals.

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The 5^th Annual CEHURD Moot Competition was hosted by Islamic University in Uganda (Kampala Campus) on 19^th October, 2018. This Moot Competition’s theme was “Business, Health and Human Right” as it sought to test the participants’ knowledge of the law in as far as the right to health and a clean environment is concerned taking into consideration the need to carryout business and infrastructural development which at  certain occasions may lead to a breach of these rights.

The preliminary rounds of this year’s competition started off at 10am and attracted participation from the country’s top Universities namely; Uganda Christian University (both the Mukono & Kampala Campus), Makerere University Kampala, I.U.U.U (Kampala and Mbale Campus), Cavendish University, K.I.U, Bishop Stuart University and Uganda Pentecostal University in a battle of well researched legal submissions by the participants.

Shortly after, results of the preliminary rounds would be announced with Makerere University taking the lead with 83.57% , UCU (Mukono) – 82.57% , UCU (Kampala Campus) – 77.75% and IUIU (Mbale Campus) – 75.5% which would thereafter proceed to the Semi- finals. After a heated up round of semifinals, the long awaited final between Makerere University and UCU (Mukono) would be witnessed with Ms. Daniella Kagina and Paul Lincoln Kalema representing Makerere University School of Law against UCU’s Karagwa Rebecca, Khanani Daniela and Mumbere Abraham.

The final rounds were judged by prominent lawyers in the field like including the Hon. Justice Musa Ssekana, Dr. Zahara Nampewo, Counsel Mbabazi Nicholas, Mr. David Kabanda (Programs coordinator – CEHURD) and Ms. Primah Kwagala (Programme Manager- Strategic Litigation).

By the end of this contest, Makerere University emerged the winners of the 5^th Annual CEHURD Moot Competition and UCU (Mukono) as 1^st Runners Up with Daniella Kagina and Daniella Khanani winning Best Orator & 2^nd Best orator respectively which entitles each one of them internship slots at CEHURD.

While addressing the audience, Mr. David Kabanda, the Programs Coordinator at CEHURD said that the participants are the future of public interest litigation and finally closed the event.