BMIS Shines at the Inter-Braeburn Debate at Hillcrest

This week, BMIS students represented our school with excellence and spirit at the Inter-Braeburn Debate held at Braeburn Hillcrest International School, Nairobi. The event brought together talented debaters from across Braeburn schools in Kenya for two days of thought-provoking discussions, intellectual challenge and friendly competition.

The event began with a warm welcome from Mr Dunn, the Headteacher at Hillcrest, followed by an inspiring keynote address from Mr Alex Manning, the Braeburn Group’s Head of Careers. He highlighted how debating sharpens critical thinking, communication and confidence – skills that are essential for future careers in fields such as law, diplomacy, and leadership.

After introductions and a lively mock debate between Hillcrest and Braeside students, the official rounds began. Our junior team made us proud by clinching a win in the second round. This was no small achievement, considering the junior category was intended for Years 8-10, and our younger students from Year 7 and 8 (Mercy, Fatema, Aaryan and Titus) still managed to impress with their composure and reasoning.

The senior team, composed of students from Years 9, 10, and one from Year 13 (Hafsa, Ashley, Jacey and Tasneem) also delivered outstanding performances. They narrowly missed a win in the second round by just three points, a remarkable feat given that the senior category was designed for Years 11–13.

By the afternoon, the excitement reached new heights as the senior team triumphed in Round 3 after a dramatic tie-breaker and went on to qualify for the semi-finals! Their semi-final motion, “This House believes that we should negotiate with terrorists to end conflicts,” saw BMIS opposing Braeburn Garden Estate in a spirited and articulate debate.

Though the junior team narrowly lost their final round to Braeside Lavington, they displayed great teamwork and courage throughout. Both teams demonstrated maturity, quick thinking and the hallmark BMIS resilience that makes us so proud.

As the event concluded, our students returned home not just with certificates of participation, but with a boost of confidence, new friendships, and valuable debating skills that will serve them well in future competitions and beyond.

Well done to all our debaters for representing BMIS with passion, grace, and determination!

And a special congratulations to Tasneem who won the Best Overall Speaker Award in the Senior Category!

Miss Simon