Law

SoL Bids Farewell to Staff

Published

4 years ago

July 5, 2022

Zaam Ssali

Staff that retired from the School of Law, Makerere University at their farewell party on 18th June 2022. From Left to Right: Prof. Sylvia Tamale, Mr. Ellia Nyanja Musoke, Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi and Ms. Deborah Kisolo.

On the 18^th June 2022, the School of Law (SoL) organized a farewell party to celebrate four long-serving staff. The four members including Professor Sylvia Tamale, Mr. Nyanja Musoke, Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi and Ms. Deborah Mpiima Kisolo had worked in different positions at the School for many years and were awarded with plaques for their commitment and service to the School.

In his opening remarks, Professor Christopher Mbazira, Principal, School of Law, appreciated the four for their commitment. Prof. Mbazira noted that some of the staff being celebrated had retired while others had chosen different careers.Talking about Professor Sylvia Tamale, the Principal said,“we have enjoyed working with you, you’ve always been a mentor to so many of us, you were kindhearted and could help some students who were financially challenged as well as staff with social challenges. Thank you Professor Tamale”. Prof. Mbazira also noted that, “The beauty with academia is that your students become your colleagues and at some point they become your bosses,” he said. Prof. Mbazira also applauded Mr. Nyanja Musoke who during his tenure of service as a Lecturer of development studies taught without any discrimination and was very soft and kindhearted. The Principal also appreciated Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi for being popular and kind with students. Professor Mbazira praised Ms. Deborah Kisoro, for her photographic memory of students and thanked her for the service to the many that came to his office.

In her remarks, Professor Sylvia Tamale appreciated the School for nurturing her for 37 years. She also thanked SoL staff for organizing the party and for being fantastic colleagues. “You all know that I always come to the school, and I will always be coming to enjoy SoL benefits without teaching,” she said. Professor Tamale requested that a room be reserved for retired staff in the new SoL building.

According to Professor Mbazira, Professor Tamale was key in the construction of the building and was a member on the Steering Committee for the SoL new building, “I pledge that a room will be reserved for our retired staff,” Prof. Mbazira said. Speaking about Professor Tamale, Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi noted that, “Professor Tamale challenged the perspective and outlook of the faculty towards women, most of the bad examples given by lecturers were against women, things changed when she came in, she was really firm, principled and a loving lecturer,” he said.

Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi joined Makerere University in 1990 and was a student of Professor Sylvia Tamale, the only female member of the faculty then. Initially he fought discrimination against Muslims by the university which was sparked-off by the introduction of a new menu which was against Muslims. This was achieved together with Prof. Abasi Kiyimba. With the assistance of Professor Oloka-Onyango, Hon. Nsibambi fought the University idea of shifting the construction of the University Mosque from the current location to the location close to College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology. After realizing that many were voiceless out there, Hon. Nsibambi shifted his advocacy skills to not only Muslims but also for the voiceless. Hon. Nsibambi appreciated those he has worked especially Professor Tamale for encouraging ladies to join the school, “When I see young ladies taking the mantle, it’s really a great achievement, my mother took me to good schools. I miss the Faculty of Law, its good we have better and young people taking over,” he said.

Mr. Nyanja Musoke was a lecturer of Development Studies at School of Law, with a passion in teaching which was inherited from his grandparents. According to Mr. Musoke, “SoL is the place I have worked the longest, and I have been awarded, I really appreciate”. According to Mr. Musoke, Development Studies was the only course were I thought I would defend rights of Uganda as a country, “Development is about political, social and economic justice and law is meant to organize these,” he said. Mr. Musoke appreciated SoL for giving him an opportunity to teach, “I never had issues with Deans and Heads of Departments despite my political sensitivity and some military training, life has been very smooth for me at School of Law,” he said. According to Mr. Musoke, law is meant to organize life of society, and create a wonderful environment and make it beautiful; the lawyers we teach are learned friends but we need to go back to the roots, work with ordinary people and prove that we are their own,” he said. Mr. Musoke applauded PILAC for being very useful in addressing societal issues,“they have dealt well with the current issues of prisoners,” he said. Mr. Musoke also cautioned SoL staff from shouting too much during lecturers as it can lead to throat cancer. He also advised them to avoid over standing which can result to back and leg pain.“We teachers like shouting, but as teachers we don’t need to shout, this can cause throat cancer. The time we leave, our backs are affected with legs paining. We need stools to avoid limping and at times it leads to a stroke. We need to improve these in our service delivery,” he said.

In her remarks, Ms. Deborah Mpiima Kisolo thanked God for the gift of life and the opportunity to work since 1982 without any serious sickness. “I was born from Makerere village and am a product of Makerere University,” she said.She joined School of Law in 2011 and has served as the exam coordinator since. Ms. Deborah appreciated staff for working and walking with her. She also urged staff to embrace God in all they do.

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Law

13th Edition of the CLE Moot Competition

Published

3 days ago

May 22, 2026

Zaam Ssali

L-R: The presiding judges - Hon Justice Isa Serunkuma, Hon. Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, Hon Lady Justice Alice Komuhangi Khauka with Mayanja Owen who was named the best oralist at the moot competition. Public Interest Law (PILAC) 13th Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Moot presided over by a panel of three High Court Judges: Hon. Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, Hon. Justice Isa Serunkuma and Hon. Lady Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha, 14th May 2026, in the Makerere University School of Law (SoL) Moot Court Room, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Public Interest Law (PILAC) held its 13^th Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Moot on 14^th May 2026 in the Makerere University School of Law (SoL) Moot Court Room. The CLE Moot is one of the clinical activities forming part of the experiential learning approach used by PILAC in its CLE class.

This Moot gives CLE students the opportunity to build their court advocacy skills, including case research and preparation, oratory and case presentation, court etiquette and teamwork, among others. This is in addition to exposing students to emerging areas of law and legal dilemmas that require specialised legal knowledge and talent to resolve. The uniqueness of this Moot lies in the fact that it is presided over by real judges, drawing mainly from the High Court. This is a result of the collaboration between the School of Law and the Judiciary of Uganda.

The Case and Arguments

This year, the theme of the moot was, ‘Rapid Economic Liberalisation and Urban Growth as drivers of inequity, weakened accountability, strained public infrastructure, and conflict between traders and the state’.

The Moot was presided over by a panel of three High Court Judges: Hon. Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, Hon. Justice Isa Serunkuma and Hon. Lady Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha. The moot problem focused on two unique and interrelated issues. First were legal questions around public-private partnerships and the nature of the legal obligations they impose on the state. Second, there were questions about the state’s obligations regarding human rights abuses arising from the actions of private actors under public-private partnership arrangements.

A compelling display of legal advocacy, a mock human rights enforcement petition highlighted the rising tide of climate litigation across Africa, tackling the devastating human toll of environmental disasters and the inadequacy of state responses. The fictional case centred on a catastrophic flood that destroyed local businesses, displaced scores of traders, and tragically claimed the lives of a mother and her infant child.

At the heart of the legal arguments was the state’s defence: a flat-rate compensation package that critics argued barely scratched the surface of the community’s profound losses. The petition cut straight to a definitive and increasingly urgent question facing the African continent: When climate-related disasters hit already vulnerable communities, and the state fails in its constitutional duty to protect the right to a clean and healthy environment, what does the law actually require? The answer put forward by the petitioners was unwavering: the law requires a meaningful, comprehensive remedy—not mere sympathy, and certainly not token payments.

While climate litigation in Africa is still in its infancy, legal scholars note it is growing rapidly out of sheer necessity. As environmental obligations are too often treated by governments as aspirational goals rather than enforceable duties, the courtroom is emerging as a vital arena to bridge the gap between state promises and true accountability.

Highlights of the Competition and Recognition of Best Performers

A total of 30 students participated in the Moot, under three teams: Applicants, Respondents, and Amicus. After weeks of preparations, the students wore their lawyers’ robes and had the chance to appear before the panel of judges, each presenting their arguments in a passionate and eloquent manner.

The Amicus team who were recognised as the winning team with the presiding judges. Public Interest Law (PILAC) 13th Clinical Legal Education (CLE) Moot presided over by a panel of three High Court Judges: Hon. Lady Justice Jane Okuo Kajuga, Hon. Justice Isa Serunkuma and Hon. Lady Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha, 14th May 2026, in the Makerere University School of Law (SoL) Moot Court Room, Kampala Uganda, East Africa. — ***The Amicus team who were recognised as the winning team with the presiding judges.***

At the end of the competition, the judges gave their feedback, expressing appreciation for the level of performance and preparedness of the teams. Some were complimented for performing better than some of the advocates who appear before the judges in court. The judges also provided tips and guidance for the purpose of enabling the students to improve their performance.

In his remarks, Professor Christopher Mbazira, the PILAC Coordinator, commended the students for their hard work and appreciated the judges for taking time off their busy court dockets to support the School in skilling the young future legal professionals. Each of the judges was recognised with a plaque of appreciation.

For his exceptional performance, Mayanja Owen was named Best Oralist of the competition. The Amicus team were recognised as the winning team from the presentations. Reflecting on the weight of the subject matter, the participating students expressed deep gratitude to the judging panel, their teammates who shared the immense burden of the case, and the instructors who guided them through weeks of demanding preparations.

General

Bachelor of Laws Pre-Entry Examination Results 2026/2027

Published

2 weeks ago

May 11, 2026

Mak Editor

The office of the Academic Registrar has released the results for Bachelor of Laws Pre-Entry Examination 2026/2027 held on Saturday 18^th April, 2026.

Candidates who scored 50% and above passed the examination and have been recommended to the Admissions Committee for consideration. However, the candidates who passed have to submit an application where Bachelor of Laws is among the programme choices in the application system here: https://apply.mak.ac.ug.

Candidate who are not satisfied with their results may appeal within two weeks from the date of the release of results.

Follow the links below for the candidate lists showing results of the categories of candidates respectively:

A-level,

Law

School of Law Annual Report 2025

Published

1 month ago

April 14, 2026

Mak Editor

Cover page of the School of Law Annual Report for 2025. Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

It gives me great pleasure to present the 2025 Annual Report of the Makerere University School of Law (SoL). This report reflects the collective efforts, achievements and resilience of our academic community over the past year as we continued to pursue our vision of becoming Africa’s pre-eminent law school that promotes social justice, the rule of law and development.

At the heart of our mandate is teaching and learning, and throughout 2025 the School remained committed to delivering transformative legal education. Our undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programmes continued to attract highly competitive applicants, reflecting sustained confidence in the quality of legal education offered at the School. During the year, we successfully conducted teaching and examinations across all programmes, strengthened experiential learning through field attachments, mooting competitions, and clinical legal education, and hosted several academic engagements including doctoral colloquia and international collaborations. Our students also excelled in national and international competitions, demonstrating the strength of our academic training and mentorship.

The School also made significant strides in research and publications, which remain central to our mission as a research-led institution. Members of faculty produced important scholarly contributions in leading journals, books and policy publications covering a wide range of fields including human rights, environmental law, constitutional law, taxation, and disability rights. In addition, our research centres secured several grants to support impactful research and community programmes, further strengthening the School’s reputation as a hub for legal scholarship that informs policy and advances justice.

Beyond the classroom and academic scholarship, the School continued to play a vital role in community outreach and engagement. Through initiatives such as the Administrative Law Short-Course for Public Officers, the Public Interest Law Clinic, the Refugee Law Project, the Business Law Clinic and other outreach programmes, our staff and students provided legal aid, capacity building and other legal-related services to communities across Uganda. These initiatives underscore our commitment to ensuring that legal education contributes meaningfully to improving access to justice and empowering vulnerable communities.

The School also remained an important platform for public dialogue, policy engagement and intellectual debate. Throughout the year, we convened and participated in numerous public lectures, policy consultations, conferences and debates addressing critical national and global issues including constitutionalism, human rights, electoral justice, climate change and energy transition. Through these engagements, the School continues to contribute to informed public discourse and evidence-based policy reform.

Equally important has been our continued investment in mentorship and career guidance for students and aspiring legal professionals. In collaboration with the Makerere Law Society and various partners, the School organized career guidance sessions, mentorship programmes and outreach visits to secondary schools aimed at inspiring the next generation of lawyers and exposing students to the diverse opportunities within the legal profession.

These achievements would not have been possible without the dedication of our academic staff, administrative & support staff, students, and the support from Makerere University Management and Council, alumni and development partners. I extend my sincere appreciation to all who continue to support the work of the School of Law. As we look to the future, the School remains committed to strengthening excellence in teaching, advancing impactful research, deepening community engagement, and nurturing ethical and socially responsive legal professionals who will contribute to the advancement of justice, rule of law, societal transformation and development in Uganda and beyond.

As We Build for the Future

Ronald Naluwairo, PhD
Associate Professor
DEAN

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