Twelve learners from across the country were yesterday honoured by Nation Media Group (NMG) for their stellar performance in the 2024 National Essay and Insha Writing Competition, an annual initiative that aims to boost literacy and writing skills among primary and secondary school learners.
The winners, six in each category – the Nation essays and Taifa Leo insha – were feted at a grand ceremony held at Nation Centre, Nairobi. Each winner received a Sh50,000 school fees award, totalling a Sh600,000.
The Nation essay writing competition, launched in May 2023, saw three exceptional primary and junior school (JS) learners and three from the secondary school category emerge tops.
Karobia Angela Wanjiru, a student at Moi Forces Academy Lanet in Nakuru, was crowned the best in the secondary school category after she scored 17 out of 20 marks.
She triumphed over Trevor Ryan Andega from Cardinal Otunga High, Mosocho and Tamika Ivy Anyona of Bunyore Girls High, both of whom tied at 16 marks.
In the primary school category, Tundo Hallelujah of Visa Oshwal Comprehensive School in Nairobi claimed the top spot with 33 out of 40 marks.
Laureen Mwikali from Lukenya Academy secured second place with 28 marks, while Joy Malesi of Schield Centre of Education followed in third with 27 marks.
In the Taifa Leo insha writing competition, which has been running since 2010 with a focus on promoting Kiswahili, Patience Pendo Muyale of St Anne Junior Secondary Lubao emerged as the top writer, scoring 36 out of 40 marks.
She edged out Viola Kyambi from Mwingi Adventist School, who had 34 marks. Jessica Muthoni Ngumi of Moi Nyeri Complex Comprehensive School rounded off the top three with 32 marks.
In the secondary school category of Taifa Leo insha, three students tied for the top position, each scoring 16 out of 20. They were Swaleh Ahmed of Sheikh Khalifa Secondary School, Arcadius Omuyundo of Maseno School, and Faith Achieng of Alliance Girls High School.
The competition’s panel of judges, composed of experienced teachers and seasoned examiners, commended the creativity, originality, and mastery of language displayed by the winners.
The students were evaluated on their ability to handle the subject matter, organisation, and overall grammatical and mechanical accuracy.
The competition is part of NMG’s Newspapers in Education (NiE) initiative which seeks to nurture talent of young writers, foster literacy levels, and ultimately improve academic performance in both public and private schools.
Addressing the winners, NMG’s Gender Editor, Dorcas Muga-Odumbe, praised their brilliance, noting that they displayed “the gift of deep thought and articulate writing skills to convey ideas, communicate philosophy, recall occurrences and peep into the future.”
She urged the students to continue thinking beyond their classrooms, using writing as a tool to explore and articulate their ideas.
David Muchunguh, Education Editor at NMG, expressed his admiration for the quality of the submissions this year. “The quality of entries that we received this year was amazing. Our talented young writers produced heartfelt essays that showed great effort and preparation. It’s clear that a lot of time went into sharpening them.”
Malesi’s teacher, Ms Margaret Andesso of Schield Centre of Education, was elated by her victory, reflecting on the positive impact of NMG’s NiE programme.
“We have experienced tremendous growth in the performance of learners in languages over the last few terms, thanks to the support from NiE. We are hoping for even greater success in the future,” she said.
Faith Achieng of Alliance Girls, a first-time entrant in the competition, was also thrilled with her win.
“I wasn’t sure I could write, but I decided to give it a try, and now that I’m among the winners, I’m really excited,” said Achieng who aspires to become a journalist.
“I’m grateful to my teachers, parents, and classmates for their unwavering support.”
Head of Swahili Desk at NTV Lofty Matambo praised the initiative, stating: “These awards are a great motivator for young learners across the country. We believe they will encourage others to follow in the footsteps of these winners and aim for greatness.”
Taifa Leo Brand Manager Nuhu Bakari echoed this sentiment, noting the competition’s role in improving literacy levels and academic performance.
“We are extremely excited by the impact of this competition. It’s a vital part of our goal to improve literacy and transform academic outcomes,” he said.
Since its inception over a decade ago, the NiE programme has played a crucial role in fostering a culture of reading and writing among students. NMG has invested in educational content tailored to the needs of students across different grades and levels.
This is in a bid to support this transformative endeavour as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, aiming to give back to the community and revolutionize the educational landscape in schools.
“We are proud of the strides made by this initiative in transforming lives. It’s a life-changing programme that builds the future generation,” concluded NMG’s Marion Maina.
With the bright prospects of these twelve winners, the future of Kenya’s writing talent is looking ever more promising, thanks to the continued support of NMG’s NiE programme and its commitment to enhancing literacy nationwide.
