Strathmore University from Kenya has won the 2025 Africa Regional Round of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition, becoming the first Kenyan institution to advance to the global finals.
The competition took place in South Africa and featured ten universities from across the continent.
Participating institutions included Africa Nazarene University School of Law Kenya, Ambrose Ali University Nigeria, Cavendish University Uganda, Midlands State University Zimbabwe, North West University South Africa, Obafemi Awolowo University Nigeria, University of Fort Hare South Africa, and the University of Zimbabwe. Strathmore University was also recognised for producing the Best Oralist.
The 2024 edition of the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition was won by students from Midlands State University (MSU) in Zimbabwe.
MSU has established itself as a strong contender in this prestigious competition, having previously secured the championship in 2022 and placing as second runner-up in 2023.
The team also represented Africa at the global finals held during the 2024 International Astronautical Congress in Milan, Italy.
2024’s moot court case involved a hypothetical space law dispute before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The 2024 case, titled The Protection of Dark and Quiet Skies and The Freedom of Scientific Investigation, is significant for South Africa, given the country’s substantial investment in the Square Kilometre Array SKAand the Southern Africa Large Telescope
ALT projects.
These facilities serve as crucial scientific research tools for the astronomy community in Africa and globally.
Furthermore, such programmes aids countries in developing legal expertise, given the rising number of African space programmes.
Source: https://spaceinafrica.com/2025/05/24/strathmore-university-wins-the-2025-manfred-lachs-space-moot-african-regionals/
