Strathmore University Wins the 2025 Manfred Lachs Space Moot African Regionals
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.
Under the theme “Africa Space Law for Solidarity and Equality,” the 2025 Africa Regional Moot was hosted by South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), in collaboration with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) and the National Earth Observations and Space Secretariat (NEOSS), which is an initiative under the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation. The competition serves as a key platform for promoting legal discourse on the governance of outer space, offering law students and professionals an opportunity to engage with the practices of international space law.
As winners of the Africa regional round, Strathmore University will represent Kenya and the African continent at the global finals of the Manfred Lachs Moot, which will be held in Sydney, Australia, during the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) from 29 September to 3 October 2025. The finals form part of the 69th Annual Colloquium of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), the world’s largest gathering of global space agencies, legal experts, and space industry stakeholders.
The Manfred Lachs Moot Court Competition continues to be a vital platform for cultivating the next generation of space law professionals. It not only promotes excellence in legal scholarship but also promotes international collaboration and a deeper understanding of the legal challenges posed by the exploration and use of outer space. Strathmore University’s achievement underscores Kenya’s growing footprint in global space law discourse and its commitment to shaping the future of international space governance.
Previous Edition Winners
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 (SKA) and the Southern Africa Large Telescope (SALT) 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.