SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS JOIN KENYA’S 5TH ANNUAL DIGITAL ESSAY COMPETITIONOver 5,000 students with original voices all across Kenya answered the question: Ni vipi teknolojia inabadilisha shule yako? Or How is technology changing your school?The 5th annual eKitabu Digital Essay Competition has for the first time included young writers from the Special Needs Community with participation from schools for the blind and visually impaired in Mombasa, Kisumu, Kiambu, and Meru counties who submitted their essays in Braille. Special Needs winners will be awarded computing devices, scholarship money and public recognition alongside their mainstream peers.The 2017 Digital Essay Competition was open from 20th April to 1st August and received 5,305 entries from 177 schools in 41 counties. Students submitted essays of 500 words to 800 words to interpret the 2017 question and respond to it in their own original voices. Judging is done in two rounds, first by competent and respected teachers with wide experience marking language subjects for primary and secondary school national examinations. Final Judging is done by a panel of distinguished leaders from Kenyan public sector and private sector organizations in publishing and education.Prize Giving is Wednesday 27th September at Nairobi International Book Fair, Sarit Center, Westlands from 10am- Noon.About Digital Essay CompetitionThe Competition is open to students from Standard 5 to Form 4 in all Kenyan public and private schools. Essays are submitted online at essay.ekitabu.com. Winners are awarded computing devices, scholarship money, and national recognition with Ministry of Education.DEC Partners & Sponsors are Ministry of Education, Longhorn Publishers, Moran Publishers, Oxford University Press, Kenya Publishers Association (KPA), Kenya Union of the Blind (KUB), Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA), Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA), and Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA).2017 DIGITAL ESSAY COMPETITION WINNERSNAME AWARD SCHOOL COUNTYPRIMARY ENGLISH CATEGORYGRAND PRIZE WINNER PURITY ONGACHI GOLDEN TOTS SCHOOL KAKAMEGA1ST RUNNER UP DARVYNE AGNES W. NDEGWA TETU GIRLS PRIMARY SCHOOL NYERI2ND RUNNER UP PRECIOUS DABANI LUKENYA ACADEMY MACHAKOS3RD RUNNER UP JUDITH NDANU MUTUA LUKENYA ACADEMY MACHAKOS4TH RUNNER UP JEPCHIRCHIR ASHLEY NANCY GEORGE ACADEMY KAKAMEGAGRAND PRIZE WINNER PURITY ONGACHI GOLDEN TOTS SCHOOL KAKAMEGAPRIMARY KISWAHILI CATEGORYGRAND PRIZE WINNER UDANA EMMANUEL INDIAZI KITALE SCHOOL TRANS-NZOIA1ST RUNNER UP HARRISON NYAMAWI ST. BERNADETTE MARY SCHOOL KILIFI2ND RUNNER UP JOHN MUTURI MUTHONI CHEMA MIXED ACADEMY NYANDARUA3RD RUNNER UP CHRISOSTINE OKISAI FLUORSPAR PRIMARY ELGEIYO MARAKWET4TH RUNNER UP IMMACULATE MOMANYI KITALE SCHOOL TRANS-NZOIAGRAND PRIZE WINNER UDANA EMMANUEL INDIAZI KITALE SCHOOL TRANS-NZOIAART CATEGORYWINNER MELODY WAMBUI NJUGUNA THIKA ROAD CHRISTIAN SCHOOL NAIROBISPECIAL NEEDS CATEGORYENGLISHGRAND PRIZE WINNER OWINO AGNETA ST ODA SCHOOL FTB SIAYAKISWAHILIGRAND PRIZE WINNER PHANIS NYABOKE ST ODA SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND SIAYAENGLISH SECONDARY SCHOOLGRAND PRIZE WINNER IRENE MBITHE MACHAKOS GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL MACHAKOS1ST RUNNER UP SISCO CHERONO STAREHE GIRLS CENTRE AND SCHOOL NAIROBI2ND RUNNER UP FASSIEH BELINDAH KEVEYE GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL VIHIGA3RD RUNNER UP JULIET NJERI KAMAU BISHOP GATIMU NGANDU GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL NYERI4TH RUNNER UP AMOS MUSANGO MULEI MAKUENI BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL MAKUENIKISWAHILI SECONDARY SCHOOLGRAND PRIZE WINNER LINUS LENGO THOYA MALINDI HIGH SCHOOL MALINDI1ST RUNNER UP RAPHAEL KIPKOECH ALLIANCE HIGH SCHOOL KIAMBU2ND RUNNER UP DENIS KIOKO MUSYOKA MAKUENI BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL MAKUENI3RD RUNNER UP LAETITIA JOY IKHALACHI MOI GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL ELDORET UASIN GICHU4TH RUNNER UP SOPHIA AKANE FRIENDS SECONDARY SCHOOL-MATURU KAKAMEGAART SECONDARY SCHOOLWINNER OKOTI ALVIN CHAVAKALI HIGH SCHOOL VIHIGAFRENCH SECONDARY SCHOOLWINNER LIHAVI DAINAH ESTHER MOI GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL ELDORET UASIN GICHUSPECIAL NEEDS CATEGORYENGLISHGRAND PRIZE WINNER NANCY KINYUA THIKA HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND KIAMBUKISWAHILIGRAND PRIZE WINNER PIUS MUITE THIKA HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND KIAMBUiTOYA AwardsIn partnership with CEMASTEA, TSC, and KESSHA, eKitabu successfully launched the first annual iTOYA Award in 2017 to recognize teachers for the best, original ICT-integrated lessons in Mathematics and Sciences. “i” stands for ICT Integration in Teaching and Learning and TOYA for Teacher of the Year Award. The competition requires participating teachers to be nominated by their Principals / Head Teachers for their creative use of ICT integration in the classroom. Presentation of the first iTOYA awards was done at the annual KESSHA Delegates Conference in June. Check details at itoya.ekitabu.comAbout eKitabueKitabu is a Kenyan and US based company headquartered in Nairobi. eKitabu is East Africa’s leading ebook store, distributing ebooks and interactive content to schools and individuals at eKitabu.com. eKitabu collaborates with leading educational publishers in Kenya and internationally, focusing on books approved for use in Kenyan education by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).Follow us on Social MediaFacebook: eKitabu - DailyTwitter: @eKitabu - DailyLinkedIn: eKitabu - DailyTunaenda Digital newsletter - MonthlyWebsite: eKitabu.com