Mohamed Omar Juma, Laura Pettie Kisswaka, and Blandina Isabela Lucas won in their categories in a ceremony at Tuzo Nyerere 2024 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Saturday, April 13, 2024.
President Julius Nyerere, Tanzania’s founding president from 1964–1985, was famous for writing numerous political texts like Ujamaa (1968) and Freedom and Socialism (1969). He also took time off as the leader of his country to translate texts like William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and The Merchant of Venice into Kiswahili. In 2022, the Tanzanian government under its Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology announced Tuzo Nyerere (Nyerere Prize in Kiswahili), a new literary prize for prose and poetry in his honour. The first winners were Hamis Hussein Kibari and Amri Rajab Abdallah.
The 2024 edition was hosted at a ceremony at The Super Dome Tanzania, Masaki with many attending including Minister of Education, Science, and Technology Prof Adolf Mkenda, Minister of Education of Zanzibar Hon. Lela Mohamed Mussa, and Nobel Laureate 2021 Abdulrazak Gurnah who delivered the keynote address.
Sifting through the entries was a panel chaired by Prof Penina Mlama alongside Dr Aikande Kwayu, Esther Karin Mngodo, Prof Chambi Chachage, Dr Salma Omary Hamad, and Prof Ali Mcharazo. This jury revealed ten finalists in each category of poetry, fiction, and children’s fiction. The last seven were given certificates for their participation and the top three were given trophies, a certificate, and a cash prize. The winners got Tshs5,000,000 for third place, Tshs7,000,000 for second place and Tsh10,000,000 for winning in their category.
The top three in each category and their texts were;
Poetry
- Mohamed Omar Juma, Ngoma Ya Uwele
- Rashid Othman Ali, Wajukuu Wa Binyuni
- Fabian Martin Fungameza, Ukombozi Wa Afrika
Fiction
- Laura Pettie Kisswaka, Garasa
Children’s stories
- Blandina Isabela Lucas, Zawadi
- Dotto Rangimoto, Hadithi za Watoto
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