UNIMA Participates in The Motion 2026 Debate

The University of Malawi (UNIMA) is participating in The Motion 2026, a national inter-university debate competition designed to provide Malawi’s brightest student minds with a platform to showcase their knowledge, critical thinking and public speaking skills.

Sponsored by the Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Authority and produced by Mibawa Studios, the competition is broadcast live on Mibawa’s Facebook page, television and YouTube platforms. The debate will see a total of 13 universities from across Malawi’s four regions competing in a three-phase competition.

The first phase involves intra-university debates, in which two teams of three students compete to determine which team represents its university at the regional stage. Regional winners then advance to the national finals to compete for the championship title.

At UNIMA, the intra-university debate took place on 12 September 2026, with a three-member team comprising Ndaya Nuka, a fourth-year Bachelor of Political Science student; Takondwa Mchenga, a third-year Bachelor of Science in Computer Science student; and Chisomo Chinguwo, a second-year Bachelor of Arts in Economics student, emerging as the university’s representatives.

For Nuka, the competition marks his second opportunity to represent UNIMA in an inter-university debate. Earlier this year, he represented the university in the Shifting the Power Inter-University Debate, where UNIMA finished as the runner-up.

Speaking about The Motion 2026 Debate, Nuka expressed excitement about the opportunity, describing it as an honour to apply knowledge acquired in the classroom while sharing his perspectives on a national platform.

He also highlighted the importance of engaging students in discussions on issues affecting the nation, noting that such platforms create opportunities for knowledge sharing and learning.

“As much as we are debating and one could emerge a winner, we learn a lot from each other, and I believe in the next phase I will continue to learn a lot,” he said.

Reflecting on his previous debating experience, Nuka says it taught him valuable lessons that he hopes to apply in the regional competition to further strengthen his debating skills. He also emphasised teamwork as an essential element of successful debating, noting the importance of working together to prepare and present strong arguments.

At the regional stage, UNIMA will compete against DMI–St John the Baptist University from Mangochi and Malawi Adventist University from Ntcheu, among other participating institutions in the Eastern Region.

The winning team will advance to the national finals.