There were smiles, proud parents and plenty of colour in Nairobi on Thursday as winners of the 19th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest were announced.
This year’s competition drew 2,153 entries from children aged 15 years and below the highest number recorded in Kenya since the contest began.
The awards ceremony was held at the CFAO Mobility Kenya head office along Uhuru Highway, where young artists, teachers and school representatives gathered to celebrate the best drawings of what the “car of the future” could look like.
The contest, an initiative of Toyota Motor Corporation, challenges children to imagine and draw their dream car. Over the years, it has grown into one of the most popular art competitions for learners across the country.
In the youngest category, children aged seven years and below, Joyrene Nduta Ngugi emerged the winner with her artwork titled My Happy Rainbow Car. Judges said her drawing stood out for its bright colours and cheerful take on future mobility.
Shreyasi Mishra topped Category 2 (ages 8 to 11) with The Flying Earth Guardian, a piece that blended environmental conservation themes with futuristic transport ideas.
In the oldest category (12 to 15 years), Mel Athiang Bol took first place with The Golden Egret, which judges praised for its depth of thought and detailed presentation.
Speaking during the event, CFAO Mobility Kenya Deputy Managing Director Joshua Anya said the record number of entries showed that more children are eager to express themselves creatively.
“More than two thousand children sat down to imagine a better world through their art. That tells you something about the talent and ideas we have in this country,” he said.
Sprint star and Toyota Brand Ambassador Ferdinand Omanyala, who helped present some of the awards, encouraged the children to keep nurturing their gifts.
“I know what it feels like to discover your talent early. For some of these children, art could be that path. Competitions like this can open doors,” he said.
Special awards were also handed out. Four-year-old Hailey Lovi Njenga received the Youngest Participant award for her drawing Rainbow Car. Raveena Kaur Matharu of Premier Academy won the Waku Doki Award for the most emotive entry with My Floral Eco Car. Premier Academy was also recognised as the school with the highest number of submissions.
In the overall school rankings, Premier Academy performed strongly in Category 1, while Arya Vedic Academy topped Category 2. Brookhouse Schools dominated Category 3, taking both first and third positions. Winning schools received dummy cheques during the ceremony, with financial awards set to follow.
The Kenyan winners will now have their artworks submitted to the global stage of the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest, where they will compete with entries from other countries.
For many of the children who took part, Thursday’s event was more than just about cars it was about seeing their ideas taken seriously and celebrated.
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