Ugandan teen beats 10,000 contestants, crowned Canada's national poetry champion

TORONTO - A 15-year-old Ugandan has put the country on the global literary map after defeating more than 10,000 contestants from across Canada to be crowned the overall winner of one of the country's most prestigious national poetry competitions.

Cianna Rukundo Namakula, a student at École secondaire Étienne-Brûlé, a French-language secondary school in Toronto, Ontario, emerged as the 2026 national champion of the Poetry in Voice/Les Voix de la Poésie competition after excelling in the bilingual category, where participants recite poetry in both English and French.

Her victory was even more remarkable because the competition drew participants from all 13 Canadian provinces and territories. After months of competition, only nine finalists earned a place at the national finals held in Quebec City on April 28, 2026.

During the grand finale, Cianna performed before an audience of about 650 guests and a panel of judges after organisers flew the finalists to Quebec City with all travel and accommodation expenses fully covered.

She not only won the bilingual stream but also emerged as the overall national champion, receiving the competition's top trophy and a cash prize of 5,250 Canadian dollars (about sh20m).

Cianna Rukundo Namakula (C), a student at École secondaire Étienne-Brûlé, a French-language secondary school in Toronto, Ontario, emerged as the 2026 national champion of the Poetry in Voice/Les Voix de la Poésie competition after excelling in the bilingual category, where participants recite poetry in both English and French.

How her journey began

For Cianna, who happened to be the youngest in the competition, the journey to national glory began with what she describes as a simple encouragement from her teachers.

"I had never heard of the competition before and had never done anything similar in literature. My teachers encouraged me to participate, and although it was completely new to me, I decided to give it a try. By working hard and trusting in God, I was able to come out on top and finish in first place," she told New Vision.

She explained that competing in the bilingual category demanded mastery of two languages, requiring contestants to recite one poem in English and another in French before progressing through several rigorous stages.

"The competition was not easy. I first had to win my class competition, then my school competition before submitting a video to the organisers. I was competing against more than 10,000 students across Canada before being selected for the semifinals and finally becoming one of only nine national finalists," she said.

Cianna said preparing for the national stage required months of discipline and teamwork.

Months of discipline, teamwork

Cianna said preparing for the national stage required months of discipline and teamwork.

"I worked tirelessly with my teachers and my father to perfect every aspect of my recitation. Standing before hundreds of people and the judges in Quebec City was nerve-racking, but all the preparation paid off when I was announced the winner," she said.

Her triumph has already begun opening international doors.

She revealed that after winning the national title, she received an invitation to perform in England but had to decline because she had already secured an 80,000 Canadian dollar (about sh300m) scholarship to attend a summer programme at the University of Waterloo.

"I had the opportunity to perform internationally in England, but unfortunately I couldn't attend because I had already accepted an $80,000  (about sh300m) scholarship to a summer programme at the University of Waterloo. Even so, I hope to participate in many more competitions and continue expressing myself through poetry," she said.

Although she hopes to become a dentist in future, Cianna believes poetry has become a lifelong passion that she intends to use to inspire young people.

"My dream is to help children around the world discover the beauty of poetry and literature. Whether here in Canada or back home in Uganda, I want to encourage more young people to appreciate language, public speaking and education," she said.

Cianna's father, Joseph Katende, said the family's greatest joy lies not only in the trophy but also in seeing their daughter discover a talent capable of inspiring thousands of young people.

Family support

She also expressed gratitude to everyone who supported her journey. "I thank my family, my teachers, my friends and everyone who voted for me, including relatives in Uganda, the United States and around the world. Above all, I thank my grandmothers who prayed for me throughout the competition. Their encouragement gave me confidence to discover a passion I never knew I had," she said.

Cianna's mother, Deborah Katende, described the victory as one of the proudest moments for the family and a significant achievement for Uganda.

"We are incredibly proud of Cianna. Watching her confidently recite poetry in both French and English before such a distinguished audience was deeply emotional. Her victory proves that Ugandan children can compete and excel on the global stage when they are given the right opportunities, encouragement and support," Katende said.

She noted that many people were surprised that Cianna, who comes from an English-speaking country, excelled in both official languages of the competition.

"Many people could hardly believe that she emerged as the overall winner after competing in both French and English. It reflects the countless hours of preparation, determination and discipline that she invested. We hope her achievement inspires more Ugandan children, both at home and in the diaspora, to embrace literature, multilingual education and public speaking," Katende added.

Katende further revealed that Cianna hopes to mentor other young people interested in poetry competitions and encourage them to develop confidence in both English and French, skills that increasingly open educational and career opportunities internationally.

Cianna's father, Joseph Katende, said the family's greatest joy lies not only in the trophy but also in seeing their daughter discover a talent capable of inspiring thousands of young people.

"As parents, we watched Cianna dedicate countless hours to practising every line and every expression. Winning Canada's national title is an extraordinary achievement, but what makes us even prouder is seeing her use her gift to inspire other young people to believe in themselves and pursue excellence wherever they are," he said.

Founded in 2010 by Scott Griffin, Krystyne Griffin and founding director Damian Rogers, Poetry in Voice/Les Voix de la Poésie is a registered Canadian charity dedicated to promoting poetry, literacy and public speaking among young people.

Scott Griffin, while remarking, said that the intention of the organisation has three key missions. “One is to introduce students to the beauty of language through poetry; second is to develop public speaking skills and third, to establish a future readership for poetry.

“It’s not easy to stand on stage in front of judges and an audience and recite a poem in memory. It’s something that would put the fear of God in most adults," he said.