The IREN Eastern Africa High School Debate provides a forum for high school students from East Africa to apply basic economic principles to topical policy issues. The program aims at inculcating a culture of entrepreneurship and business thinking among youth from an early age and to promote Kiswahili as the business language in East Africa.

Previous themes covered include; The Effects of Corruption, Privatization and New Technology on a Nation’s Economy and The benefits and challenges facing the East Africa Cooperation and how to enhance this cooperation. This year’s theme is ‘Save to invest and grow the economy.’ From 2006, over 65 schools and 400 essay entries have been submitted for competition from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.