Kenya to set up Sh400m film school

Deputy President William Ruto has urged Kenyans to work together at this time when the country is facing challenges of insecurity.

He called on citizens not to point fingers, adding that this is the time for every individual to reflect and ask what they can do for the country.

“Let us not focus so much on what can divide us because there is more that unite us,” he told students and teachers after watching the winning items from the just-ended Kenya Schools, Colleges and Universities National Drama Festival at Lohana Hall in Nakuru yesterday.

He told the audience how he was entertained by the way teams treated the theme of enhancing social responsibility for national development. “Art is an important industry critical to socio-economic and political development of our nation. Art is a representative of our society’s values,” he said.

Ruto also announced that the Government had set aside Sh400 million for construction of a national film school, adding the arts will be the next frontier for job creation to spur economic growth.

“We want to see the next batch of world billionaires coming from Kenyan art sector,” he said.

The Deputy President not only congratulated Caleb Mwangi, a Class Six pupil from Nakuru Lions Primary School, but also offered to pay for his school fees all the way until he completes his studies.“I want to join His Excellency the President in supporting Master Caleb and as result will pay for his entire fees until he is done with schooling,” he said.

Earlier the Festival chairman Chokera Kahora had called storyteller Daniel Owira of Highway Secondary School and poet Emily Wanjiru formerly of Gachororo ECD to greet the Deputy President.

The two have been receiving full financial support after President Uhuru Kenyatta was impressed with their performances in the previous years. Ruto was also happy with the show staged by 6-year-old Syprose Atieno from St Kizito ECD when she performed Mwizi wa Mapenzi.

In the verse the persona laments the way her father has abrogated his fatherly love and instead pays all the attention to his cell phone.

“Mimi ninakuuliza Deputy President William Ruto kati ya kisimu hiki na mimi nani wa muhimu,” (Let me ask you Deputy President between the cell phone and me, who is more important?),” she asked amid applause and response from the audience.

Chepsai Primary School from Nzoia was emphatic with a message supporting the Education Ministry’s scrapping of school ranking in exams in their narrative Sina Makosa.

The cast of Scholastica Tunga, Orpah Kuyuti, Phostine Atiti, Nancy Wanaswa and Dario Atsianji were in their element and there was no doubt in the mind of the audience whatsoever that ranking was a cause of inequality and stigma against pupils from humble backgrounds.

And Dagoretti High showed the way Kenyans should go about resolving conflicts through their cultural dance Khakasa choreographed by Hudson Wafula and produced by Benjamin Ngahu.

Yet there was a lot excitement in the hall when Thika School for the Blind staged a Kenyan Sign Language Dance by the title Boom. The visually impaired went through their paces well in a synchronised fashion to behold.

The message was tacit as they depicted a private developer who had illegally annexed their playing ground. As a way of showing the land belongs to the school and they can no longer play like other children they demonstrate, displaying the title deed with the name of their school. When it falls on deaf years they come together to bring the wall down and the playing ground is reverted to them as they celebrate in excitement.

Other teams that performed included St Marys’ School Yala with a comedy Glocosuria, National Youth Service with a modern dance Blushes, Booker Academy with a dance Ring Bell and Asumbi TTC with a stand-up comedy Mambo Mambo.

Others were Nembu Girls with a dance Love Defined, Kyeni Girls with Utonga Bwetu and Mt Kenya University with a dance, Shishanda.

The Mount Kenya University deputy Vice Chancellor Prof Stanley Waudo Ssaid announced that some of the actors will be selected to perform in a Hollywood production co-produced by X-Squad productions from Beverly Hills. The university was this year’ official sponsors.