Uganda Christian University (UCU) clinched the top prize at the fourth Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition, defeating Strathmore University in a heated final that tested students' skills in data privacy and national digital ID systems.
Held at the University of Dar es Salaam, the competition attracted participants from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda. UCU’s win earned them $1,500 (about Shs 5.3m) and a fully funded trip to the Privacy Symposium Africa in Nigeria, while Strathmore University took home $500 as runners-up.
Individual awards went to Strathmore’s Megan Wanjiru, named Best Overall Oralist, while UCU won Best Written Submissions (Applicant), and the Islamic University in Uganda secured Best Written Submissions (Respondent). Organized by Unwanted Witness, a Ugandan digital rights group, the moot has become a key platform for exploring the intersection of law, technology, and privacy.
The 2023 theme, “Safeguarding Personal Data in National Digital ID Systems,” highlighted issues like biometric data misuse, surveillance, and the balance between state security and individual freedoms.
The final was judged by Justice Duncan Gaswaga, Professor John Eudes Ruhangisa, and Louis Gitonga. Justice Gaswaga commended UCU’s arguments for blending global data protection principles with East African realities, while Ruhangisa praised their focus on consent mechanisms and data minimization. Gitonga called the atmosphere “electric” and emphasized the urgency of privacy law in today’s world.
UCU’s victory follows its national win in Uganda earlier this month and their success at the International Humanitarian Law Moot. After the competition, Ajambo stated, “This is for every Ugandan whose data is at risk. We argued not just for points but for a future where privacy is protected.” Kutamba credited their coaches for preparing them to "think like policymakers, not just lawyers."
Unwanted Witness Executive Director Dorothy Mukasa celebrated the victory, emphasizing the competition’s role in shaping a new generation of legal minds. She also highlighted the growing need for legal safeguards as digital ID systems like Uganda’s 'Ndangamuntu' expand rapidly.
Mukasa has long warned that technology must serve people, not control them—an issue reflected throughout the moot. UCU’s win was hailed as a victory for privacy rights, marking the rise of a new generation of East African lawyers dedicated to defending privacy in an increasingly digital world.