USIU-Africa debate and public speaking team emerge winners in the National Intervarsity Right to Food Debate

From left to right: David Odhiambo, Lucy Irungu, Eunice Njagi, Kagia Samuel, Chantelle Mukabi, Grace Kinyua and Calvin Ganza.PHOTO: Courtesy

By Lucy Njeri Irungu

Just two weeks after the first ever USIU-Africa Inter-varsity Debate, the Public Speaking Club retained the Debate and Public speaking champions title in the Right to Food debate held on 26 and 27 July at Strathmore University. The debate was organized by the Kenya National Debate Council and Route to Food with the aim of evaluating food security as a human right as stipulated in Article 43(1) (c) of the Kenyan constitution of 2010. The tournament comprised of three categories, debate, public speaking and the quiz challenge and had approximately 300 participants from different universities in Kenya.

USIU-Africa was represented by two teams in the debate category, three speakers in the public speaking category and two adjudicators. In all categories, all the USIU-Africa participants made it to the finals after very competitive knockout rounds.

In the debate category, Grace Kinyua (International Relations, sophomore) and Calvin Ganza (International Relations, senior) emerged as the winners. Kagia Samuel (Finance, freshman) and Lucy Njeri Irungu (International Relations, senior) were the 1st Runners up.

In the public speaking category, Grace Kinyua (International Relations, sophomore) was the 1st Runners up, followed by Kagia Samuel (Finance, freshman) and David Odhiambo (International Business Administration, freshman) among the best finalists.

In the adjudication team, Eunice Njagi (International Relations, sophomore and Chairperson Public Speaking Club) and Chantalle Mukabi (Finance, freshman and secretary public speaking club) were recognized among the best finalist adjudicators in the public speaking and debate categories respectively.

After a series of 10 national debate championships since last year, the USIU-Africa team has earned the championship title at the national level. The team is looking to venture into regional debates namely the East African Universities Debate Championship (Kenya) in August, the Zanzibar Opens Tournament (Tanzania) in September and the Pan-African Universities Debate Championship (Ghana) in December this year. The end goal of the team is to earn an international championship status at the World Universities Debate Championship that will take place in Thailand next year.

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