Israel Embassy, EAK launch national Bible trivia contest for Kenyan youth

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 16 — The Embassy of Israel in Kenya and the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK) have launched a national Bible trivia competition targeting young people aged 18 to 35, combining Bible education, digital gaming and lessons on environmental stewardship drawn from the Old Testament.

The competition will feature online preliminary rounds, with registration open until the end of September. The top 10 participants will advance to a physical final scheduled for November 3.

Deputy Ambassador of Israel to Kenya Ariel Arviv said the initiative is being held in Kenya for the first time, building on a similar annual Bible trivia competition conducted in Israel since the country’s establishment in 1948.

“I’m very happy to launch the Bible trivia this year officially. It’s a first-time initiative here, but we have done it in Israel since the establishment of the country in 1948,” Arviv said.

Arviv said the initiative seeks to use the Bible as common ground for young people while encouraging them to learn more about its teachings, themselves and issues affecting society.

She said the Bible contains lessons on humanity, how people treat one another and the environment, with the competition intended to encourage young people to engage with scripture.

The environmental stewardship theme is drawn from teachings in the Old Testament and seeks to encourage participants to consider the relationship between people, creation and their responsibility towards the environment alongside their Bible knowledge.

The initiative also uses digital platforms to make Bible learning more accessible, with organisers seeking to reach participants beyond Nairobi and encourage continued engagement with scripture.

The competition is being implemented with the support of Games on the Go, a digital knowledge and skills gaming platform available through the mySafaricom app and as a standalone mobile application.

Games on the Go CEO Brian Ndungu Wathome said the platform will enable the competition to reach participants across different parts of the country.

“Trivia is like an exam, but in a fun way,” Wathome said, describing the format being used to test participants’ knowledge while keeping the experience engaging.

Wathome said the digital approach is intended to create positive screen time for young people while using technology to widen access to the competition.

He said the partnership with Safaricom provides an opportunity to reach users through the mySafaricom platform, with gamification and incentives incorporated into the initiative.

Evangelical Alliance of Kenya Secretary General Rev. Kepha Nyandega said the competition’s environmental focus draws from biblical teachings on creation and stewardship.

He said the theme is relevant to both believers and non-believers because environmental and climate-related challenges affect the wider population.

The organisers said the competition is primarily open to participants aged 18 to 24, with the upper age limit extended to 35 to allow more young people to take part.

The digital format is also intended to enable participation by young people outside major urban centres, including those in Turkana, Lamu, Mandera and Mombasa counties.

Organisers said the competition marks EAK’s first national Bible trivia initiative and is designed to bring young people together across different denominations.

They added that the Israeli team that conducts a similar Bible trivia competition annually is ready to support the Kenyan initiative.

Registration remains open until the end of September, with participants expected to complete the online stages before finalists are selected for the November 3 event.