Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor won the fourth Caine Prize for African writing in July 2003 as writer, teacher and fabric designer Rebeka Njau, paediatrician Margaret Ogolla, journalist Martha Mbuguss and playwright Wahome Mutahi released new titles.
The were The sacred Seed (Njau), I swear by Apollo (Dr Ogolla), The dream Merchants (Mutahi) and Mbuguss (A date with Jesus).
Owuor won the US$15000 Caine Prize for African Writing for her story,” Weight of Whispers."
This is the second time a Kenyan had won this prestigious literary prize.
Binyavanga Wainaina, another Kenyan, had won the prize in 2002 for ‘Discovering Home’, a story published in G21Net of South Africa.

The Department of Literature of the University of Nairobi launched Yusuf Dawood Prize, an annual award for their best undergraduate student in literary studies.
Named after one of Kenya's prolific writers, Sunday Nation columnist Dr Dawood, the award comes with Sh5000 (US$62.5) in cash and a Sh2000 (US$25) book token.
Subject to availability of funds, the university has pledged other prizes to start-jump the country’s creative writing.