On Wednesday, 26 November 2025, the air at Victoria University, Kampala, was thick with anticipation. For weeks, tech-savvy students had been waiting for the MDriven Hackathon: a chance to go head-to-head with an expert developer, beat Lars, and walk away with the UGX 1,000,000 Grand Prize.

This was the inaugural MDriven Hackathon, and it did not disappoint.

The Kick-Off

The event began with an energizing welcome from Dr. David Kakeeto, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Victoria University. He encouraged the students to push their limits and expressed gratitude to MDriven for bringing this hands-on opportunity to the campus.

But this wasn’t just a standard coding contest. To ensure total fairness, the challenge prompt wasn’t pre-written. It was generated live. The team uploaded parameters to ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini to brainstorm unique business app ideas.

The students voted, and the verdict was clear: “MotorTrakr”—a management app for a local motorcycle repair workshop.

Three hours were set on the clock. It was time to build!

The Battle: AI Speed vs. Structural Logic

As the countdown began, the room split into two distinct worlds.

On one side, student teams huddled together, frantically planning and coding. They utilized a mix of modern stacks—Python, PHP, and Firebase. Many leaned heavily on AI tools to rapidly generate slick User Interfaces (UI).

On the other side, projected on a massive screen for all to see, was Lars. Working alone, he built his application live using MDriven Designer. The audience watched in real-time as he constructed the app’s workflow, models, and ViewModels, focusing entirely on the business logic rather than just the aesthetics.

The “AI Maze”

While MDriven allowed the use of AI tools for assistance, there was a strict caveat: The final submission could not be fully AI-generated.

Why? Because in the real world, employers need systems they can maintain. If a developer relies 100% on AI, they often lack the foundational knowledge to fix or explain the code later. MDriven emphasized that true developer competence lies in explaining the logic of a solution—a skill crucial for long-term career success.

The Final Countdown

As the three-hour mark approached, the tension was palpable. Even Lars humorously noted that building a full-stack solution in 180 minutes was a tall order, even for an expert.

When the call went out—“Hands off laptops!”—reactions were mixed. Some teams high-fived, while others stared anxiously at unfinished code.

The Verdict

The judges—Mr. Alex Bazigu, Madame Deborah Mackenzie Kaddu, and MDriven’s own Charles Olet—took their seats. Each team had just five minutes to pitch their solution.

The contrast was stark.

• Most Students: Many presented apps with beautiful, AI-generated interfaces but struggled to explain the underlying logic or data consistency.
• One Team & Lars: Presented solutions that prioritized logic, data integrity, and maintainability. However, Lars candidly admitted that while his app worked perfectly, his UI was… “functional” at best.

The judges had a difficult decision: Do we reward the prettiest app, or the smartest app?

And The Winner Is…

After intense deliberation, the results were in.

🥉 3rd Place: Group A (Won UGX 250,000)

🥈 2nd Place: Team “Hack” (Won UGX 500,000)

And finally, the champions. In a poetic twist, the team that took home the Grand Prize was the one that actually utilized MDriven technology to build their solution.

🏆 WINNER: Team “Modelers” (Won UGX 1,000,000!)

They successfully demonstrated the best combination of functionality, quality, and logic, proving that the right tools make all the difference.

Looking Ahead

This was the first MDriven Hackathon, hosted by both MDriven & Victoria University Kampala, but it won’t be the last. Underscoring the focus on education, Lars confirmed that had he won, the prize money would have been reinvested into the university to potentially launch an MDriven Club.

Did you miss out this time? Don’t worry. We will be back next year.

Start practicing, sharpen your logic, and get ready. We’ll see you in 2026!