In a remarkable display of legal acumen and advocacy skills, the Islamic University In Uganda (IUIU) Kampala Campus emerged victorious in the prestigious Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition 2023 held on Friday.

The Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition which drew participants from leading 15 University law schools across the country, showcased the commitments of Uganda’s universities to fostering legal talent and promoting excellence in legal education.

The competition whose theme was ‘Balancing Privacy Rights and National Security Navigating the Impact of Surveillance Laws on Individual Freedom’ hosted participants from different law schools from 15 distinguished universities who impressed the courtroom due to their extremely talented skills exhibited right from the start of the competitions on Thursday.

Needless to say, despite the maximum performance displayed by all participants, only two Universities; IUIU Kampala Campus and Cavendish University Uganda advanced to the grand finale, this climaxed the competition and made it more interesting since the young legal professionals masterfully used their confidence as a ring as far as the legal battle is concerned frontlining law of Privacy as their sword and the constitutional of the land as their shield to display their legal wisdom before the learned Justices.

In the grand finale as the name sounds, the two teams exhibited exceptional competence however, IUIU’s young talented aspiring attorney Kityo Martin displayed extra-ordinary skills in his arguments and packaging, a move that impressed both the judges and the entire courtroom with his in-depth knowledge of the law and impeccable advocacy.

The performance of Kityo and his colleague Aida Gift Kisambira demonstrated their comprehensive understanding of legal principles and their ability to apply them effectively in a simulated courtroom environment.

ED Unwated Witness Ms Dorothy Mukasa handing over an aword to Martin Kityo

IUIU Kampala campus’s triumph was accompanied by commendable sportsmanship. The team not only celebrated their win but also acknowledged the formidable competition from their peers. This spirit of camaraderie and mutual respect prevailed throughout the competition, highlighting the professionalism and collegiality of the legal community.

According to Kityo and his colleague, their victory in the Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition 2023 was entirely attributed to the dedicated guidance and mentorship provided by the University’s faculty members.

In general, all the experienced legal scholars from all universities that took part in this competition played a crucial role in preparing the students for the demanding competition, providing valuable insights, and refining their legal arguments.

IUIU (Kampala Campus) emerged as the winner for best-written submission for the Respondent, while Martin Kiyo himself handily emerged as the best oralist, he was given a microphone that symbolizes speaking submission. Cavendish University Uganda under the drive of talented aspiring attorneys; Echo Mugisha and Mirriam Lawoko emerged as the First Runner-Up seizing a prize of one million Uganda Shillings. The former champions Kampala International University emerged third while Makerere University the host became fourth.

Speaking after the competition the Executive Director of Unwanted Witness Uganda Ms Dorthy Mukasa congratulated all the participants and revealed to all participants that the grand purpose of the Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition is not to compete or a trophy but to learn.

"I’m happy to note that as I was going through social media, I saw heart-warming comments about what has been picked from this place and that is the overall purpose of this moot. And also to touch on the novel topic of Privacy and Data protection. We need you in the courtrooms to defend our Privacy and we need you to effectively defend our right to privacy," she said.

The Judges on the panel were also impressed with the performance of the youngsters from both sides and encouraged them not to stop at the moot competition but to continue pursuing their dreams of being legal professionals who will defend the rights of Ugandans at all costs in the courts of law.

Meanwhile, IUIU Kampala Campus became the second University to win The Unwanted Witness Privacy Moot Court Competition since the establishment of this competition in 2022. The first edition was won by Kampala International University.