Machakos High's Austin Angoya tops East Africa essay competition

Kenya has once again proved its supremacy in East Africa's most competitive essay writing competition, with Machakos High School's Austin Alego Angoya coming first in the hotly contested regional competition held in Arusha, Tanzania on Friday.

The EAC Essay Writing Competition, an annual event aimed at promoting regional understanding in the East African Community, featured essays from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan.

Announcing the results of the competition, Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, the deputy secretary-general for Infrastructure, Productive and Political Affairs at the EAC, said Angoya's essay stood out for its inventiveness and fresh approach to a regional issue.

The 18th Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers Responsible for Education, Science and Technology Culture and Sports held on June 9, 2023, considered the regional and national winners of the EAC Essay Writing Competition.

“We hereby announce Austin Alego Angoya as the regional winner of the 2022 students’ essay writing competition,” said Malueth.

The essay writing competition results are announced during the Ordinary Summit of the East African Community Heads of State and Government, which is held at the EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Angoya joins a list of several other Kenyan students who have won the award in the past.

Second place went to Idrisa Musa Hamadi of Tanzania (Azania Secondary School), while Irakoze Sonia of Rwanda (Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology) and Amuron Everlyne of Uganda (Wiggins Secondary School Kumi) came fourth.

They were followed by Irimpihwe Aida from Burundi (Ecole SOS Muyinga) and Lalum Joselyn Oluku from South Sudan (Merryland Academy).

“The winner, plus his English teacher and mentor Gladys Mbithe John, visited the best tourist sites in Tanzania for a week as a bonus to the award,” said Malueth.

The theme of this year's essay was "Discuss how the development of transportation infrastructure can contribute to enhanced regional integration and development of the East African Community".

In his six-page essay, Angoya explored how easier transport infrastructure can take the East African Community to new economic heights, pointing out that better water, road, air and rail links between countries can facilitate trade and bring prosperity to the region.

“Infrastructure is the foundation upon which our development is hinged. Regional integration is the process by which two or more nation states agree to cooperate and work closely together to achieve peace, stability and wealth,” reads part of Angoya’s winning essay.

He noted that transport infrastructure will lead to improved health care in the region. He pointed out that with affordable air transport, members of the regional community could get help quickly from one another.

Angoya wrote that Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya is the largest referral hospital in East Africa, with others in the region including Mulago Hospital in Uganda, Muhimbili in Tanzania and Juba Teaching and Referral Hospital in South Sudan.

“Access to these facilities is hampered by inadequate transportation infrastructure. Nursing patients in other countries will certainly be a catalyst for integration,” said the student, who completed his high school education last year.

The East African Community was originally formed in 1967 by Kenya, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. However, the Community collapsed in 1977.

The Treaty for the re-establishment of the East African Community was signed in Arusha on November 30, 1999 and came into force in 2000. Rwanda and Burundi acceded to the EAC Treaty in 2007.

South Sudan became a member on September 5, 2016, while the Democratic Republic of Congo joined in April 2022.

On November 24 this year, Somalia officially became the eighth member of the EAC.

The East African Community aims to achieve economic prosperity, competitiveness, security, stability and political unity.

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