Qazini Quiz

So You Think You Can Write?

Qazini is on a mission to drive systemic change in our societies through content that transforms the way we perceive our own capabilities.

Featuring different themes/topics every year, the Qazini writing competition challenges writers to ferry us into their imagination, where we hope to be exposed to the endless possibilities within our collective reach, as human beings. 

The 2021 writing challenged writers to tell us, in no more than 1000 words, what they would do if they had the power and the mandate to effect change in Kenya.

Find out what the top 10 writers had to say.

*The top 3 essays will be selected by 10th November 2021.

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Meet the Judges

Dr Willy Mutunga

Dr Willy Mutunga

Justice Willy Mutunga is a Kenyan lawyer, intellectual, reform activist and an active member of the Justice Leadership Group. Mutunga was Kenya’s Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court from 2011 to 2016. He has published 2 first author books, 8 co-author books, 39 scholarly articles and 44 unpublished lectures and papers read in conferences. He has also written 16 forewords and prefaces in books on variety of disciplines. Through these writings Mutunga’s trajectory of political activism is robustly reflected.

Nerima Wako-Ojiwa

Nerima Wako-Ojiwa is a Kenyan political analyst, who serves as the executive director of Siasa Place, an organization, led by young people that engages young Kenyans, educating them about the constitution, governance and electoral processes, through community engagements and social media. She is a 2018 Obama Leaders Fellow and a former columnist with The East African.

Peter Pages Bwire

Peter Pages Bwire is a creative entrepreneur, filmmaker, writer, and scholar. He is currently the CEO of The Dots Village Company, manager of The Chorus Box, an initiative that aims to develop young leaders to implement solutions for the challenges in their own communities, and program manager for the Binti Care Foundation. Peter is a French-African Young Leaders 2021 Fellow and an awardee of both the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders and the Chevening Scholarship.

Christine Koech

Christine Koech is a journalist with a passion for good grammar and well-told human interest stories. Currently the deputy editor on the Gender desk at Standard Group PLC, she believes in the power of the perfect mix of elaboration, emotion and evidence when it comes to storytelling for human causes.

Janet Onyango

Janet Onyango is the CEO of J Communications, a communications consultancy that specialises in promoting programmes, social media management, media relations and thought leadership building. Janet is also a training facilitator in writing skills public speaking for the workplace and media training. She is passionate about beautiful language and good grammar. She is an avid reader of African fiction. Her experience is in monitoring journalism, broadcast journalism and radio.

prizes

Other than the prize money, each prize comes with terms and conditions, a period within which it should be claimed or redeemed. Winners will be advised to check the vouchers for these terms and conditions.

1st Position

Kshs 10,000
  • Kshs 10,000 prize money
  • Free writing masterclass with Jackson Biko (Bikozulu) valued @ Kshs 15,000
  • Giftpesa shopping gift voucher valued @ Kshs 5,000
  • 2 Books- Different Paths One Journey and 3 Bolts From the Blue valued @ Kshs 2,000
  • Meal Voucher for 2 at The Chat Room valued @ Kshs 5,000
  • Should you ever want to publish a book in future, Writers Guild Kenya will extend, to you, a 15% discount on their offer

2nd Position

Kshs 5,000
  • Kshs 5,000 prize money
  • Free participation in The Writers Ignite class programme by Writers Guild Kenya valued @ Kshs 5,000
  • Giftpesa shopping gift voucher valued @ Kshs 5,000
  • 2 Free Books- Different Paths One Journey and 3 Bolts From the Blue valued @ Kshs 2,000
  • Should you ever want to publish a book in future, Writers Guild Kenya will extend, to you, a 15% discount on their offer

3rd Position

Kshs 3,000
  • Kshs 3,000 prize money
  • 1 year affiliate membership at Writers Guild Kenya valued @ Kshs 3000
  • Giftpesa shopping gift voucher valued @ Kshs 5,000
  • 2 Free Books- Different Paths One Journey and 3 Bolts From the Blue valued @ Kshs 2,000
  • Should you ever want to publish a book in future, Writers Guild Kenya will extend, to you, a 15% discount

Top 10 writers

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  • Giftpesa shopping gift voucher valued @ Kshs 5,000
  • 2 Free Books- Different Paths One Journey and 3 Bolts From the Blue valued @ Kshs 2,000
  • Should you ever want to publish a book in future, Writers Guild Kenya will extend, to you, a 15% discount on their offer

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