Keabetswe Molotsi, from Botswana has been announced the winner of the 2023 Kendeka Prize for African Literature for her story titled Matlhalerwa during the award ceremony held on 7th October, 2023. At the same ceremony, Hussani Abdulrahim from Nigeria was also announced the first runners-up for his story titled, We Came for Mangoes, while Shedrack Opeyemi Akanbi, also from Nigeria, became the second runners-up for his story, The Lance Corporal’s Door.
The three winning stories were selected from a shortlist of six by a panel of three Judges chaired by Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda from Zambia. Others in the panel were Richard Ali from Nigeria and Pasomi Mucha from Kenya. The winners were chosen from entries from 25 African nations.
During the ceremony, the anthology of the long listed stories in the 2022 prize was unveiled. The 13 long selected stories in years’ prize shall be published in another anthology to be releases in 2024.
The award ceremony was held, at Fourteen Falls Leisure Lodge, Thika, Kenya. The first Prize is Kshs 100,000, the second and the third prizes are Kshs 50,000 and 25,000 respectively. For details visit www.kendekaprize.com .
Attached below are some pictures from the ceremony, a detailed statement and the bios/ pictures of the winners.
