Esther Imani Senelwa, a pupil at Holy Rosary Girls Primary School located in Turbo in Uasin Gishu County has come out on top in this year’s 51st International Letter Writing Competition for Young People.
The competition is for learners of the age 15 years and below, Junior Category, Kenya Chapter.
Senelwa participated in the competition that was organized by Posta Kenya together with Universal Postal Union (UPU) – International Bureau, winning a cash prize of Kshs. 100,000 and a certificate from Kenya Chapter.
The runner was Tandiwe Noni Accram from Kinderville Junior Academy in Nairobi County who took home a cash prize of Kshs. 50,000 and a certificate.
The third position had a tie with three pupils attaining the same score. The learners were Ryan Kisong’e from Kabarak Primary School in Nakuru, Louis Angule from Kinderville Junior Academy in Nairobi and Abigael Vuyanzi Senelwa from Holly Rosary Girls Primary School located in Turbo in Uasin Gishu. They will all take home a cash prize of Kshs. 30,000 and certificates.
Awards were issued to winners on the 9th of October 2021 with cash prizes and certificates during the World Post Day celebrations. The event was held in Nairobi and was officiated by the Cabinet Secretary for Information Communications Technology, Innovations and Youth Affairs Joe Mucheru.
The competition was divided into two categories. The junior category was for those aged between 9 and 13 years with most of them in primary schools while the senior category was for those aged between 14 and 18 years (mostly in secondary schools.
Learners were required to write an essay in form of a letter on selected topics and submit it to the Postmaster General before the 31st of March 2022.
In the competition, young people aged 15 years and below were required to write a letter to an influential person about why and how to take action on climate change.
Those aged 18 years and below were required to write a letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Education about how COVID-19 had affected their education, the Winder in Senior Category (14-18) years was Jack Fidel Anyona from Jamhuri High School located in Nairobi. He was awarded a cash prize of Kshs. 50,000.
In the second position nationally was Mwanaisha Katana from Bunyore Girls in Vihiga who took home a cash prize of Kshs. 30,000 together with a certificate while in third was Ezra Gisore from Kapsabet Boys High School from Nandi County won a cash prize of Kshs. 20,000 and a certificate.
In the junior category (9-13 years), the winner was Ericka Cherotich from St. Patrick’s Academy Cheptuiyet in Kericho who won Kshs. 50,000 cash prize and a certificate while in second and third place were Larry Barack (from Riara Primary School) and Hope Okach (from Milimani Hillcrest Academy Suna in Migori) who won Kshs. 30,000 and Kshs. 20,000 respectively.
Each participant was to write a composition of not more than a thousand words and parents or guardians and teachers were not allowed to assist in the composition writing.
The compositions were to be sent via Post and appropriate postage stamps were required to be affixed on each envelope. Only one entry was allowed in each envelope posted.
The winners in the competition were:
- Fatma Kassim from River Bank Primary School from Nairobi (Kshs. 100,000)
- Nelly Nkirote Muriuki from St Mary’s Girls High School Igoji in Meru County (Kshs. 50,000)
- Moses Mumo Mutku from Starehe Boy’s Centre in Nairobi
- Faith Nana Barasa from Carmel Catholic Primary School, Utawala in Nairobi County (Kshs. 30,000),
- Samwel Njoroge Njeru from Njiiri School in Murang’a County (Kshs. 30,000)
- Stacy Achieng Ochieng from Nyabururu Girls’ High School in Kisii County (Kshs. 30,000)
Kenya is a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates postal policies among the 192 member countries.
The UPU has been encouraging young writers (aged between 9-15 years) since 1971 to write letters on a given theme to win exciting prizes.