Dear friends,

DEC 2026 is finally here. This year, we are exploring an open theme with the prompt: Let me speak…. Students are invited to respond to the theme in the following languages:

English: Let me speak…

Kiswahili: Niruhusu nizungumze…

French: Laissez-moi m’exprimer…

German: Lass mich mich ausdrücken…

Arabic:  دعني أعبر عن نفسي…

Mandarin: 让我表达自己……

Choose one category to participate in:

English, Kiswahili, French, German, Chinese, Art, Kenya Sign Language (KSL) Videos, Braille, Arabic, Poetry, Mother-Tongue

Recognizing that some writers may wish to express themselves in their mother tongue, DEC will, for the first time in 2026, welcome entries that respond to the prompt “Let me speak…” in any Kenyan mother-tongue language. Learners submitting essays in mother-tongue languages are encouraged to indicate clearly the language they have used on the cover page of their submission.

Good luck to all writers!—see you at the national prize giving at Nairobi International Book Fair in September!

Warmest regards,

Will

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