NACADA Extends 2026 Essay Competition Deadline to May for Kenyan Secondary School Students
Students across Kenya get a bit more leeway now. The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has given in and extended the deadline for it’s 2026 national essay competition – hopefully that will allow a lot more secondary school students to get in on it.
Initially set to shut down on March 28, the competition now doesn’t close until the end of May. This change should give thousands of students a second shot at participating in the program especially all those that might have gotten their timing mixed up originally.
A Second Chance for Learners Nationwide
The essay competition is aimed at students in grades 10 to 12 – that’s grades 2, 3 and 4 for those more used to Kenya’s secondary school system. The theme is something like “keeping our future safe: making smart choices about drugs in school and in life”.
NACADA really hopes that extending the deadline will get more schools involved and give students a bit of extra time to sit down and think about substance abuse – think about how it affects them, their schools, their lives… and then maybe have a crack at writing about it.
The point is not just about writing a decent essay, you know – its about getting young people to stop and think about how they can help stop or at least get rid of the problem of drugs in their schools.
Why the Extension Matters
NACADA’s boss Anthony Omerikwa says that extending the deadline was not a last second think, but came from a long time plan to avoid missing out on a big national push.
“As part of doing the things the president has been calling for in the fight against drugs, we’re trying to get kids to think about the dangers of drugs through these kinds of competitions. President Ruto has been saying for a while now that we have to do something to keep kids away from getting hooked on drugs, and this competition is all about helping them become people who can help make a change,” Omerikwa explained
The extension then, is not just a bit of extra time, but a attempt to make sure NACADA is on the same page as the Presidents call to get a lot tougher on drugs, and to do something about it before it starts to seriously affect young people in schools.
More Than Just an Essay
You’ll need to submit a genuinely original handwritten essay, between 800 and 1,000 words. The good news is you have a choice of languages – English or Kiswahili.
NACADA reckons that giving participants a bit more time to think will help them dig deeper and come up with something that really matters, rather than just scratching the surface.
But there’s something even bigger going on here. This competition fits in with Kenya’s new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) which is all about developing skills such as being able to think for yourself, come up with creative ideas and actually solve problems.
So what’s actually happening here is that students are not just churning out essays – they’re learning stuff they’ll take away with them long after they’ve left the classroom.
What Students Stand to Gain
Being the top essayists won’t just get you a pat on the back. The top three winners will get certificates and trophies, and some of the outstanding pieces will make it into NACADA’s newsletter.
All the participants will get certificates as well – and that’s not nothing – it’s a small but decent way of saying thanks for giving it a go.
The whole thing wraps up on June 26th. By chance, that’s the same day as International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Guidelines Students Must Follow
To keep things fair there are a few rules we need to stick to.
First off, entries need to come through your school principal and should be accompanied by a signed entry form. One rather interesting (and important) rule is that you mustn’t include any details that might give away who you are in the essay itself. The judges need to be able to go through the entries completely blind.
Teachers can certainly guide the discussion in class but they absolutely cannot help with the essay – not one word! You’ve got to write this one on your own.
Submissions can either be sent in to NACADA’s Nairobi office or via email – whatever is easiest for you.
In Other News: New Ksh.188 Capitation Sparks Debate in Kenya’s Education Sector
NACADA Extends 2026 Essay Competition Deadline to May for Kenyan Secondary School Students
