By Timothy Onyango

[Nairobi, March 18-20, 2025] The East Africa Law Students Association held its inaugural conference at Daystar University Nairobi Campus from 18th- 20th March, 2025, under the leadership of its President, Mr. Gideon Mwanje, a student from Nkumba University in Uganda.

The conference, themed: Harnessing the Power of East Africa Law Students for a Brighter Future, attracted a host of legal experts and students from across East Africa. 

The robust three-day conference provided an invaluable platform for discussion and networking opportunities among the Law students. 

Uganda led with five universities in attendance, namely: King Cesar University, Nkumba University, Makerere University, Islamic University of Uganda, and Uganda Christian University. Tanzania had two universities in attendance: the University of Dar es salaam, and Tumaini University, while Rwanda was represented by the University of Rwanda. The host country, Kenya, had the University of Nairobi, Catholic University of East Africa, and Daystar University, participating.

In his opening remarks, the President of the East Africa Law Students Association, Gideon Mwanje, acknowledged the pioneer conference as a great stride for the association and the East Africa Community. 

“This is a great milestone for the East Africa Community and the East Africa Law Students Association. We have a unique role to play in shaping the future of East Africa,” he said.

The Dean, Daystar University School of Law, Dr. Maurice Owuor, observed that the conference had provided a platform for law students to network with their counterparts from the region as they learnt new discoveries from one another.  He underscored the importance of Daystar University hosting the conference, saying that it will enable the University to build strategic partnerships.

“Daystar University is determined to make a mark in the legal field by producing [lawyers] who are solution-oriented through the Problem Based Learning,” he said

On the second day, the conference shifted its focus to cross-broader legal practice, analyzing the opportunities available and how cross-border practice can be realized. The key highlight of the day was a panel discussion involving the President, Law Society Association of East Africa, Mr. Ramadhan Mukira, the President Law Society of Kenya, Ms. Faith Odhiambo, and the President of East Africa Law Students Association, Mr. Gideon Mwanje.  The session was moderated by Ms. Stacy Maina, a law student from Daystar University.

As they delved into the discussion, the panelists defined cross-border practice as the ability of a lawyer to practice law in another country, and encouraged the young legal minds to create partnerships among themselves in the East Africa region. The panelists urged the audience to set high legal standards by eliminating language barriers by learning multiple languages and other cultures.

The conference climaxed on the third day with a keynote address by Prof. PLO Lumumba, a seasoned lawyer and an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and the High Court of Tanganyika. His commanding tone dominated the auditorium as people listened keenly to his remarks.

Prof. Lumumba’s talk was centred on modern day colonialism in Africa. He dwelt on the topic of inferiority complex, which he said was “characterized by the Stockholm syndrome, whereby you love your master at the expense of your own rights,” he mused.

He urged his listeners to emancipate themselves from this kind of mindset by transforming their minds, and putting themselves and their priorities first as Africans.

Prof. Lumumba further challenged the students to be critical thinkers who think independently, exceptionally, and outside the box. “Don’t think in reference to any box, think differently,” he advised.

The conference enabled the students to engage directly with experts in order to gain new insights on how to better their legal career through meaningful collaborative efforts amongst themselves.

The conference was a resounding success.