Lessons galore as secondary schools light up music festivals

MCK Kamatungu Special School from Tharaka Nithi County performs at Kaaga Girls at the Equity Bank-sponsored Kenya National Music Festival. [Photo, Phares Mutembei] Captivating English and Kiswahili choral verses on financial literacy and sustainable development were the highlight as secondary schools took the stage at this year's national music festival. In the English Choral Verse Own Composition category on insurance, Matungulu Girls from Eastern delivered a standout performance titled "The News Bulletin". The students portrayed news anchors, with their top story focusing on comprehensive insurance at the festival, mainly sponsored by Equity Group, staged at Meru Technical Training College. It has been a week of entertaining and educative performances, with audiences left asking for more as the extravaganza ends this week. Among the performances yesterday were African folk songs from the Gusii and Kuria communities, presented by national polytechnics and universities, including Kenyatta University, Eldoret Polytechnic, Thika Technical Training Institute, and NIBS Technical College. Langata High and Jomo Kenyatta Girls from Nairobi, and Ole Tipis Girls from Rift Valley, were among schools that performed under the same category. Bonde Secondary in Nyanza, Kathiani Boys from Eastern, and Starehe and Lenana Boys from Nairobi. Another moving segment featured "Mum Shanice", who recounted falling from a tree and breaking her leg, fearing she would never walk again, only to be saved by insurance. Another segment highlighted "Uncle Kavaluku", who transitioned from military retirement to successful beekeeping, thanks to his pension. The performance also addressed broader societal issues, such as how a father's death led to endowment and funeral expenses being covered. From the Coast, Shimo la Tewa presented "The Magic Pill", a powerful piece illustrating how businesses affected by protests and economic downturns could recover through insurance. They also depicted a school cook who lost a finger while chopping vegetables but was supported by health insurance. In the Kiswahili Choral Verse Own Composition category on wealth creation and insurance, Webuye DEB from Western secured third place with their piece titled "Mkombozi" (The Liberator), which featured "Mama Jane", a sambusa seller who insured herself and now enjoys her pension. Nyabachogochogo from Nyanza took second place with their performance "Nguzo ya Kesho" (Pillar of Tomorrow). The top spot went to Tudor Day from the Coast for their piece "Njia" (The Way). Sheban Juma, the trainer for Tudor Day, expressed immense pride in their achievement. "My teacher and mentor, Mr Rashid Mohamed Rashid, one of Kenya's most prominent writers, wrote the script for Njia," Juma explained. "I taught and trained the students on how to perform it and handled everything in general." Bunyore Girls, Precious Blood Riruta and PCEA Ongata were third, second and first, respectively, in English verses sponsored by Equity Bank. While the performances captivated audiences, the day's proceedings at some festival venues in Meru were not without challenges. Intermittent power outages disrupted several performances, forcing trainers and students to repeat their acts. Alliance Girls, for instance, faced disruptions during their original composition for female voices at Meru Technical Training College, where the stage lights flickered on and off. Kenya Music Festival chairman Prof Frederick Ngala, acknowledged the support of the PS, State Department of Higher Education, in facilitating university involvement. He emphasised importance of providing a seamless transition for talented students into higher education platforms. With more secondary schools travelling to the festival, partners at KMF are actively promoting financial literacy through various tents. Equity Bank's Head of Education, Peter Ndoro, said they would extend its commitment beyond the festival grounds by visiting institutions to collaboratively discuss and agree on how to build a future that recognises talent and creativity.

Lessons galore as secondary schools light up music festivals

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