In what has become one of the most remarkable stories of academic and technological achievement in Mountains of the Moon University’s (MMU) history, the university’s AgriChain team has clinched Second Prize at the Huawei ICT Competition 2025–2026 Global Final, held in Shenzhen, China, the culmination of a competitive journey that stretches back to December 2025 and passed through national and continental stages before arriving at the world stage.
The winning team, composed of Bachelor of Computer Science students Aaron Masendi, Elvis Oko, and Wasswa Atibu, all drawn from MMU’s Faculty of Science, Technology and Innovation (FOSTI), that stood out among some of the brightest young technology minds from universities across the globe, distinguishing themselves for their innovation, technical mastery, and the practical relevance of their solution under the AgriChain banner. Their historic achievement was made possible under the steady mentorship and leadership of Alinaitwe Mukonyenzi, a dedicated member of MMU’s staff, whose guidance proved instrumental at every stage of the competition.
MMU’s journey to the Global Final was neither sudden nor accidental, it was forged through months of rigorous preparation and hard won competition across multiple rounds.
The qualifying students first entered the fray at the preliminaries held in December 2025, where they distinguished themselves among competing institutions across Uganda. Their strong performance earned them a coveted place at the National Finals in January 2026, a fiercely contested stage that tested both individual knowledge and team coordination across the competition’s technical tracks. It was at the National Finals that the MMU team truly shone, performing exceptionally well and securing qualification for the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Finals, an achievement that few universities in Uganda could claim.
The Regional Finals for the network track took place on 5th March 2026 at the Huawei Office in Kampala, where MMU faced qualifying teams from 21 Sub Saharan African countries. Competing across two specialised tracks, MMU fielded Aaron Masendi, Elvis Oko, and Wasswa Atibu in the Innovation Track.The team was guided by both Feta Jonathan, Huawei Instructor, and Alinaitwe Mukonyenzi, MMU Instructor, whose technical mentorship and institutional support were instrumental in preparing the students for the continental stage.
Their performance in Kampala earned MMU a place among the continent’s most competitive institutions in the technology space and, crucially, a pathway to the Global Finals in Shenzhen, China. In the global finals MMU emerged as second globally and the 1st under the African continent with Ghana coming in as second, Nigeria third, and South Africa 4th.
The Huawei ICT Competition is one of the world’s most prestigious technology tournaments, attracting hundreds of thousands of ICT students from over 80 countries each year. Reaching the Global Final in Shenzhen, the very heartland of global technology innovation, is itself a remarkable feat. Claiming Second Prize at that stage places MMU among an elite league of institutions whose students are not merely learning technology, but actively shaping its future.
For Aaron Masendi, the experience was nothing short of transformative. “Competing at the global final was beyond anything I had imagined. It showed me that we, as Ugandan students, have the talent and the ideas to compete with anyone in the world. This award belongs to MMU and to everyone who believed in us,” he said.
Elvis Oko echoed these sentiments, reflecting on the significance of the platform: “Standing in Shenzhen among the best student innovators from around the world and winning Second Prize, it is a feeling that is very hard to put into words. It tells us that what we are doing at MMU matters globally.”
Wasswa Atibu, the third member of the AgriChain team, expressed deep gratitude to the institution and their mentor. “We did not get here alone. The support of our university, our mentor Alinaitwe Mukonyenzi, and our Faculty made this possible. We hope this inspires every student at MMU to dream bigger and reach further,” he said.
Mentorship at the Heart of the Achievement
Behind every milestone in MMU’s Huawei ICT journey stood a mentor committed to the team’s success. Alinaitwe Mukonyenzi, who served as MMU Instructor throughout the competition’s national, regional, and global rounds, praised the extraordinary dedication of the students he guided.
“Aaron, Elvis, and Wasswa put in extraordinary effort. They did not just prepare, they believed, they pushed boundaries, and they showed the world what MMU students are made of. This is what happens when talent meets purpose,” Mukonyenzi said.
The AgriChain team’s Second Prize win at the Global Final is the latest and most resounding achievement in a growing portfolio that reflects MMU’s deepening commitment to nurturing innovation, creativity, and technology driven solutions with real world impact. From the preliminary rounds in Uganda to the Sub Saharan Africa Regional Finals and ultimately to Shenzhen, the MMU students carried the flag of their university and their nation with distinction at every stage.
MMU’s Faculty of Science, Technology and Innovation continues to serve as a launchpad for student ideas that address local and global challenges from agricultural technology to digital transformation. The university’s success in this competition is a testament to the rigour of its academic programmes, the quality of its mentorship, and above all, the determination of its students.
As the MMU community celebrates this landmark achievement, the message from Shenzhen is clear: Uganda’s next generation of technology leaders has arrived and Mountains of the Moon University is leading the way.
Congratulations to Aaron Masendi, Elvis Oko, Wasswa Atibu, Santo Rayern, and to mentors Alinaitwe Mukonyenzi and Feta Jonathan, whose dedication made this extraordinary journey possible.
The Huawei ICT Competition is an annual global initiative that challenges university students to apply information and communication technology skills to solve real-world problems. The competition spans national, regional, and global rounds, culminating in a high-profile Grand Final that draws top student talent from across the world. In a milestone that brings pride to both the institution and the nation, students from the Faculty of Science, Technology and Innovations (FOSTI) at Mountains of the Moon University (MMU) have successfully qualified for
