The winners of the 2024 Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature have been announced! Celebrating excellence in East African storytelling, the awards recognize remarkable works in both Kiswahili and English across multiple categories, including Adult, Youth, and Children’s literature.
The Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature is a biennial literary award given by the Kenya Publishers’ Association. It has been called “the most prestigious literary award in the country”. The first award ceremony took place in 1974, however due to financial constraints, it was unable to continue. In 1990, the award was revived with sponsorship from the Text Book Centre, and the first prize was given in 1992. Beginning in 2015, the award’s official name was changed to Text Book Centre Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature.
The winners according to their categories are as follows:
Adult Category in Kiswahili
- Kifunganjia by Daniel Okello (Storymoja)
Adult Category in English
- The Gambler by Ngumi Kibera (Oxford University Press)
Youth Category in Kiswahili
- Mshale wa Matumaini by John Habwe (Access Publishers)
Youth Category in English
- A Jacket for Ahmet by Tony Mochama (Oxford University Press)
Children’s Category in Kiswahili
- Swila Arejea na Hadithi Nyingine by M. K. Tarus (Storymoja)
The winners of the 2024 Jomo Kenyatta Prize for Literature were announced at a prestigious ceremony held on 28th September at the Westlands Banquet Center. The event celebrated outstanding literary achievements across various categories, showcasing the diversity and depth of East African storytelling.
Congratulations to all the winners on this great win!
Bakare Oluwatobiloba
I write to educate, motivate and define history with literature. Just being me!
