The Nairobi Schools Open Debate tournament: A showcase of young talent
By Maria Marenga
The 4th edition of the Nairobi Schools Open Debate tournament took place from July 13-14 and was organized by the Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) in conjunction with the African Debate Academy. This annual event brought together over 600 talented high school students from 16 schools across the country.
The tournament featured two main components: public speaking and debate. In the public speaking section, students had the opportunity to showcase their oratory skills, personal charisma, and their ability to captivate an audience. This holistic approach allowed the young participants to develop not just their debating prowess, but also their overall communication abilities. The debate portion followed a structured format with teams of three students going head-to-head, each speaking for 6 minutes, followed by a 3-minute reply speech per team. The competition was divided into junior and senior divisions, with the teams vying for the coveted bronze, silver, and gold prizes.
The judges were selected from the Kenyan Debate circuit and ensured a fair and rigorous evaluation process. Among them included members of the SADS community: Francis Mwangi, Monicah Wanjuku, Wanjiru Karugu, Joshua Wambugu, Pearl Nganga, Angel Mala, Maria Marenga and Suliat Adesewa. Impressively, there was also the addition of newer members of the SADS family who participated as novice judges namely Howard Muchaki, Imani Mureithi, and Hilary Odede. Their inexperience did not impede them from using their adaptive skills to assess the speeches of the young students and give impartial, constructive, and effective feedback.
The event once again showcased the exceptional talent and potential of Kenyan high school students, and USIU-Africa, through SADS, and remains committed to nurturing and supporting these young minds as they continue to soar to new heights.
