By Fresher Diana

The Spoken Arts & Debate Society (SADS) had a year full of achievements and growth. And what better way to end the year than take part in the 5th edition of Zanzibar Opens. Zanzibar Opens is an annual debate championship organized by the Tanzania Competitive Rhetoric Organization (TCRO), to expose and merge the tropical island experience with debate. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 5th edition of 2020 was cancelled. SADS first participated in the Zanzibar Opens during the 4th edition in 2019. Accompanied by our chaperone Jane Nyaga, the SADS team travelled to Tanzania over the December holidays.

The tournament was hosted at the island at the State Technical University of Zanzibar (SUZA). The tournament saw the coming together of different institutions from four countries in Africa: Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, and Botswana. Representing from the Spoken Arts & Debate Society were Samuel Kagia, Fresher Diana, Louis Gitu and Elsie Sirengo. SADS yet again emerged victorious at the tournament, with Samuel Kagia partnered with Njuguna Macharia (Strathmore), emerging as the 1st runner’s up in the Open Finals of the tournament. Moreover, Samuel Kagia scooped the title of the 2nd best speaker in the tournament.

Being a holiday tournament, the competition not only improved parentship skills for the present institutions, but also get a feel of the Zanzibar culture and history. The island had a lot of scenic sites to for the participants to explore alongside debating.

The Spoken Arts & Debate Society had immense growth in 2021, and we look forward to soaring even higher this year. The Society will be participating in several activities this semester, including:

1. Taking part in the annual Olympia to be held in Kampala, Uganda in February 2022.
2. Participating in the 6th leg of the Mashujaa Opens at Strathmore in March 2022.
3. Chantelle Mukabi (SADS Chair) participated in Uhuru Worlds Championship from 10 -14 January 2022 as the Deputy Chief Adjudicator.

Through the tutelage of some of the best adjudicators and debaters across the globe, SADS is set to break barriers not only in Kenya, but continentally and all over the world. This can only happen through the dedication and commitment of the club members not only, but through undying support from the school club patron and club coordinator. Furthermore, we not only want to equip the students of USIU-Africa with the skills of a good speaker, but we also want to impact the lives of the members and the community at large. With the patronage of our club patron, Dr. Quin Juma, SADS has beat the odds to become a club that seeks to promote the interrelation of the USIU-Africa student and faculty community.

For more information on the club, please reach out to us on sads@clubs.usiu.ac.ke