Kahi Fred Aluda, a third-year student at the Technical University of Mombasa is the winner of this year’s essay contest on standardization. Hesborn Paul Ongwae of Egerton University is the second while the third position was scooped by Barbara Chebet Sang of Catholic University.
The 21-year old student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering wrote an essay on the role of standards in achieving the human rights and especially the rights of women. Last year the winner of the Kenyan (KEBS) National Essay competition Miss Hope Mutie, from Eldoret University emerged as the overall winner for the ARSO (African Organization for Standardization) Standardization Continental Essay Competition themed: “The role of standardization in women empowerment and economic development” The theme for the last two years relates to the African Union Theme for Women empowerment and women rights respectively.
The top twenty-five Kenyan winners of the National essay competition will have their essays compete with others across the continent and if they win, they will be feted in Burkina Faso during the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO), General Assembly in June 2017. According to Patricia Kimanthi, KEBS Communication Manager, the top three winners of the Kenyan National Competition will be presented with certificates and a cash prize of Ksh. 70,000, 60,000, 50,000 respectively during the African Day of Standardization celebrations in Kenya.
KEBS in collaboration with the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO), for the fourth time, invited undergraduate and graduate students from Kenyan universities and colleges to participate in the Essay competition which was themed “Role of Standardization in Facilitating Human Rights with particular focus on the Rights of Women”. The aim was to educate students on Women’s rights and how standards play a role in protecting women’s rights.
The annual contest, which is open to university students in all fields of study, is an opportunity for youth to articulate their vision for Kenya’s emerging national agenda, while generating and sustaining awareness of standardization among the youth in Kenya in areas of standardization.
Candidates had to structure their essays around one of the following five priority areas; an explanation of the problems being faced by women in Africa today in relation to human rights, general understanding of standards; general knowledge of the situation in Africa regarding to human rights; how standards contribute to Human Rights with particular focus on the Rights of Women; a clear example on how standards have in the past assisted in solving issues related to human rights in the country.
Their essays have been forwarded to ARSO to compete with others from the African Continent. The continental winners will be feted during the ARSO General Assembly that will be held in Burkina Faso in June 2017. The top three winners will be sponsored to attend the General Assembly.
