Not Pictured: Best Speaker Dean Famaye
The ALU Debate Society (ALUDS) has been named Tournament Champions at the Africa Top Universities Debating Championships (ATUDC) 2026, further strengthening ALU’s reputation for student leadership, critical thinking, and public speaking across the continent.
Held as an invitational tournament for Africa’s top 16 debate institutions, the competition brought together leading university debate teams from across the continent for a series of high-level debates focused on argumentation, policy analysis, and public reasoning.
ALU emerged as the tournament’s overall winning institution, with Dean Femaye receiving both Best Speaker and Finals Best Speaker awards. The achievement reflects the continued growth of debate and public speaking culture across the ALU community, where students regularly engage in leadership development opportunities beyond the classroom.
“This achievement demonstrates the caliber of student leadership ALU produces and positions our university as a premier institution for debate and critical thinking development in Africa,” said Orante Tuyizere, President of the ALU Debate Society.
The win follows a series of debate and public speaking initiatives hosted at ALU this year, including the East Africa Debate Championship and Public Speaking Tournament held on campus in collaboration with iDebate Rwanda.
Through activities such as debate, conferences, and public speaking competitions, students continue developing skills in communication, negotiation, collaboration, and analytical thinking. These experiences form part of ALU’s broader experiential learning approach, which encourages students to engage directly with complex issues while building confidence in leadership and public engagement.
The ALU Debate Society has continued expanding its presence within regional debate spaces, contributing to conversations around youth leadership, policy engagement, and civic discourse across Africa.
