Schools told to invest in debate clubs to sharpen student voices

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The debate patron of Kyambogo College School, Diana Asiimwe, has urged schools to invest in debate clubs, saying they not only build students’ confidence but also ease the fear of public scrutiny.

According to Asiimwe, a student’s ability to stand and speak eloquently in public is not necessarily linked to their level of education or professional expertise. Instead, public speaking is a practised skill that requires confidence and specific techniques.

“Though many professionals are brilliant and excel elsewhere, public speaking triggers anxiety. Some people obsess over perfection because they fear being judged,” disclosed Asiimwe.

To support learners in overcoming this phobia, Kyambogo College School organises annual debate competitions to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to become effective speakers.

She made the remarks during the Eco-debate school championship on environmental sustainability among the youth at Kyambogo College School in Kireka on April 25, 2026.

Anna Mary Lenia, a student from Bishops Secondary School Mukono addressing journalists during the Eco-debate school championship about environmental sustainability at Kyambogo College School in Kireka. (Photo by Juliet Kasirye)

The competitions were held under the theme: Empowering Young Leaders to Address Climate Change and Global Challenges.

During the debates, sessions focused on cultivating self-esteem, critical thinking and intellectual curiosity among students on environmental and societal issues.

Out of the ten schools that participated in the debate and public speaking sessions, Bishop Secondary School, Mukono, emerged the best, followed by Samson Memorial School, while Kyambogo College School took third place.

Asiimwe said Eco-Debate aims to equip learners with the skills and knowledge to mitigate climate change impacts and promote societal development.

While delivering a keynote address, the head teacher of Kyambogo College School, Stanley Mugume, said debate is not a mere argument but the disciplined clash of ideas through which truth is refined.

According to him, speech rests on three pillars: credibility, emotion and logic.

“Public speaking is not performance; it is the sacred act of bridging soul to soul through the power of the spoken word. In every forum of human endeavour, debate and public speaking are indispensable,” explained Mugume.

Citing Parliament, Mugume told students that without the ability to articulate, persuade and concede with grace, democracy collapses into tyranny or chaos. He emphasised that in a court of law, the advocate’s eloquence determines whether justice is blind or sighted.

“Embrace debate and public speaking with passionate urgency because challenges such as climate change, inequality, technological disruption, and moral drift demand leaders who can think critically, speak truthfully and persuade ethically,” Mugume advised students.

During the award ceremony, one of the adjudicators from Thenuel Debate and Literary Fronesis (TDELF), Napoleon Tumukunde Nuwamanya, said debates equip learners with the skills and knowledge to raise awareness, foster critical thinking and preserve the environment.

Anna Mary Lenia, a Senior Six student from Bishop Senior School Mukono, said participating in debate competitions since Senior Four has enabled her to gain the confidence to address critical issues such as littering while speaking in public.

“I commend the government for introducing the competence-based curriculum. It has enabled me to utilise my communication skills to raise awareness against littering, encroaching on wetlands and cutting down trees,” Lenia said.