Kigali City on Thursday hosted a reading and writing competition for different primary and secondary schools from across the city with the final held at City Hall in downtown Kigali.

According to Stephen Mugisha, the managing director of Excel Education Partners and manager of the competition, the main purpose was to improve the participants’ quality of education, build a culture of reading, life skills, creative writing and physical expression, among others.

The City Vice-Mayor Kigali City for Social Affairs, Patricia Muhongerwa, said the competition has far-reaching impact.

"That is why some people have studied up to university but, upon graduation, they are not employable and cannot even express themselves,” she said.

Muhongerwa said the competition was an opportune time for students to get used to the public speaking.

"As future leaders, public speaking is a key skill that you should nurture,” Muhongerwa said.

The competition also helped the students to hone their Kinyarwanda and English language proficiency.

Queen Mutesi, from Groupe Scolaire APADE, won the reading competition for the primary level, while Laissa Uwase, from FAWE Girls School, won the O-Level category with Abdul Karim Mugisha, from Riviera High School, topping O-Level competitors.

Other winners included Belinda Uwase, from King David Academy, who emerged the winner for the reading competition at A-Level, and Flora Niyigena, from FAWE Girls School, who was the best debater in A-Level category.

Speaking after she was announced the winner, Niyigena attributed her victory to her extensive research and the overwhelming support of her teachers whom she said guided her every step of the way.

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