Juja Prep is set to host the Mwalimu Nyerere Schools Invitational Debating Championships 2019 Public Speaking and Debating contest.
Mwalimu Nyerere IV is an annual secondary schools’ competition that commemorates the memory of the African icon Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere through debate and public speaking. It has brought about schools from four different countries, namely Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe, Botswana, Rwanda, Namibia, and South Africa to contest topical issues of national and global importance.
Until now, all three editions of the competition have been hosted in Dar es Salaam Tanzania, but in 2019, the motive of the competition will be exported to neighboring Kenya. Kenya National Debate Council (KNDC) who are organizing the championship says that Juja Preparatory and Senior Schools be the first known school in Kenya to host an international debate and public speaking championship in World Schools Format of debate.
According to Mr. Joseph Irungu, Principal of Juja Prep and Senior School “we are delighted to host the event as not only is the school a leader in both 8-4-4 and IGCSE curricula, but we also have excellent facilities”
The Mwalimu Nyerere IV initiative was established to bring secondary school students and teachers together to expose them to the world-schools debating style, promote the spirit brotherhood and unity as represented by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere through fair competition, be a springboard for students to make it to international tournaments by selecting a winning schools debate team to represent their schools international competition and inspire students to discuss and care about with historic and current day issues which take away the focus from them as individuals and promote understanding of the world around them.
KNDC believes that high school students are very impressionable and begin most of their disciplines and interests in their teenage years. “When students are exposed to competitive debating in their teenage years, the likelihood of them continuing to debate at a university level is higher than if they were to be exposed to it later in lives. We reason strongly that debating plays a vital role in enhancing critical thinking, communication skills, democratic ethos and general leadership skills in students”. Says Rose Ndichu, Executive Director at KNDC
Worlds Schools Debate Format is practiced in more than 50 countries. Each year, a different country hosts the World Schools Debate Championships (WSDC) where schools from all over the globe compete. This competition is the exponent of this industry standard systematic debate order.
The only true way to ensure a lasting effect of the tournament is when schools are able to establish independent and thriving debate clubs. The small communities of students will be a framework to sustain the vision of this competition as they will keep the living legacy of the Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere.
