The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology has won the 2019 edition of the Pan African Universities Debate Championship in an amazing host-and-win campaign. The win which marks a successful title defense makes it the second time in a row KNUST is winning the trophy after conquering the lifting the trophy in Tanzania last year.

The tournament featured about 80 teams drawn from universities in 14 countries across the African continent.

Since the inception of the tournament in 2008, only the University of Cape Town, South Africa had won two in a row; won in 2012 and 2013.

The Pan African Universities Debate Championships is the biggest African inter-varsity debate tournament held every year.

Ghanaian universities first participated in the PAUDC in 2012 with KNUST and the University of Ghana being the representatives from Ghana.

The PAUDC takes the British Parliamentary (BP) style made up of 4 teams of 2, with 2 teams supporting a motion, and 2 teams opposing. Debating teams are independent and compete with each other.

This year’s edition saw only three institutions from Ghana, KNUST, University of Ghana and UCC participating with 12, 8 and 4 teams respectively.

After nine rounds of preliminaries, 15 teams from Ghanaian universities broke to the knockout stage making it the second time Ghana attained such a laurel.

Two of the 12 teams KNUST presented made it to the semi-finals with one of the 8 teams from the University of Ghana.

The two teams from KNUST in the semis made it to the finals with the only university of Ghana team joining one other team from Strathmore University, Kenya.

Erasmus Segbefia & Michael Ampah (who represented KNUST in the final) spoke on the motion “Ghanaian Armed Forces have detected an intercontinental ballistic missile launch. The missile is for downward Accra. An attempted interception has failed. The warhead is expected to detonate in fifteen minutes. You are a civilian emergency response official for the state of Ghana. This house would not inform the public” from Closing government and won by a unanimous decision.

Both Erasmus Segbefia & Michael Ampah won the 6th Best Public Speaking.

Here are some other winners

TOP TEN SPEAKERS

1st Ademola Adinkubi

2nd Faithfulness Okom

3rd Atlehang Molefe

4th Mfumo Bamuza

5th Anam Azhar

6th Erasmus Segbefia Mawuli

6th Michael Ampah Yeboah

6th Solomon Omani-Mensah

9th Jeremaiah Sekyi

9th Lindokuhle Mabaso

TOP TEN JUDGES

1st Kelly Kwaue Corchil

2nd Unar Buckus

3rd Brion Kinet

4th Kelly Smith

5th Crorata Chepete

6th michelle Wanyang

7th Kayam Afulabi

8th Serayi Taofeq

9th Lebogang Moloko

10th Hillary J. Manroe

TOP THREE NEW JUDGES

Unar Buckus

Michelle Wanyang

Kayam Afulabi

TOP THREE NEW SPEAKERS

1st Michael Ampah Yeboah

2nd Michael Koranteng

3rd Lindokuhle Mabaso

BEST COUNTRY SPEAKERS

Nigeria – Ademola Adekumbi

Rwanda – Abiel Intwarane

Tanzania – Eric-Alex Hamisi

South Africa – Atlehang Molefe

Botswana – motlatsi Mogorosi

Kenya – Macharia Njuguna

Zambia – Given Kapolyo

Zimbabwe – William Mwaingeni Denva

Togo – Abdul-Latifou Wali

Uganda – Ntambi Michael Blair

Sierra Leon – Alfred M. Sesay

Cameroun – Prince C. F Sani

Ghana – Solomon Omaru-Mensah, Michael Ampah Yeboah, Erasmus Segbefia

BEST REGIONAL SPEAKERS

Southern Africa – Atlehang Ndefe

West Africa – Ademola Adinkubi

East Africa – Mocharia Njuguna

Central Africa – Prince CF Sani