On Saturday, January 11, Charlene Ruto, daughter of President William Ruto, announced an exciting opportunity for young Kenyans to showcase their website design skills and win up to Ksh200,000 through a new competition.
Sharing the announcement via her X account, Charlene invited youths aged 18 to 35 to participate in the Website Design Competition, where the winner will receive a cash prize of 1,500 USD (approximately Ksh194,997 at current exchange rates). The contest is organized by The Young People’s Network International (TYPNI), a youth-focused initiative, and is being patronized by Charlene herself.
It’s time for our next big thing…. The Website Competition!
— Charlene Ruto (@charlruto) January 11, 2025
Are you between 18-35 years? Team up in groups of 3 and show us what you’ve got!
📅 Challenge opens: 11th January 2025
⏳ Submission deadline: 11th February 2025, midnight
Steps to qualify:
1️⃣ Share links to 3… pic.twitter.com/1n5H8FJQjj
“It’s time for our next big thing… the website competition! Are you between 18 and 35 years old? Team up in groups of 3 and show us what you’ve got,” Charlene wrote in her post.
How to Enter
The competition will run for one month. Participants must form teams of three and submit links to three websites they have previously designed. Each team is also required to provide a brief technical proposal for the website they would develop for The Young People’s Network International platform. In addition, participants must submit identification documents and profiles of all three team members.
The competition opens on Saturday, January 11, and the deadline for submission is Tuesday, February 11, 2025. After the submission period, public voting will take place from February 25 to March 4, 2025, with the winner to be announced on March 7, 2025.
Requirements
Charlene outlined some key design requirements for the participants. The website must have a youthful and vibrant appeal, reflecting modern visuals while incorporating the official colors of TYPNI. The design should be mobile-friendly, easy to navigate with clear, intuitive features, and should encourage user interaction and community building.
Other requirements include readable fonts, high-contrast colors for inclusivity, and unique features that will make the website stand out and be memorable.
This marks the second time Charlene Ruto has engaged young Kenyans in creative initiatives for TYPNI. In March 2024, she launched a similar competition for youth to design the TYPNI logo, with the winning designer receiving a Ksh100,000 cash prize. The winner also had the special opportunity to dine with Charlene, adding a personal touch to the reward.
Charlene Ruto has been actively engaging the youth through various outreach initiatives, strengthening her online presence, and increasing her public profile as the First Daughter. Despite not being officially appointed to a government position, she continues to play a significant role in youth empowerment and community engagement.
