Their piece praises teachers for continuing education during COVID-19 lockdowns, running virtual sessions, and keeping morale high even as students battled anxiety and loss.
Eastleigh High School, a moving composition titled "Shujaa wa Elimu" was performed by students as a tribute to their teachers. It speaks not just to the guidance they receive in class, but to the sacrifices teachers make to keep them on track.
"Shujaa amewasili, atatatua msongo wa mawazo unaonikabili," one verse reads, praising the teacher as a healer of mental burdens.
The school in their song highlights the social challenges such as poverty, insecurity, and overcrowding threaten to derail education, teachers at the school with teachers standing firm to resolve them.
Teaching here is not just about academics. It's about survival, mentorship, and giving children hope when there's little around them to hold on to," said one teacher.
Riruta Central mixed secondary to them, teachers are seen as both nurturers of talent and defenders of student rights. From guiding teens through adolescence to advocating for students facing injustices at home or in the system, their job spills far beyond the bell.
"We stand in the gap," said a senior teacher. "We intervene in cases of abuse, we follow up on dropouts, and we encourage even the timidest child to believe in their potential."
The school's entry into the national drama competition will showcase stories of students whose lives were transformed because a teacher stood up for them.
County Girls secondary school belted a recurring theme in the students' choral pieces is that of dignity and equality.
Their signature piece this year, "Waalimu Dhamani Yangu", is a musical homage to teachers who treat all students equally-regardless of tribe, religion, or social status.
"Our teachers don't discriminate. They counsel, encourage, and guide us like their own children," said one Form Four student. "We've seen them pay school fees, bring food for boarders, and call parents late into the night just to help one of us."
These are not just educators confined to chalk and syllabi. They are mentors, counsellors, artists, and above all, pillars of a society that leans heavily on their silent strength.
Away from teachers, learners also exhibited the importance of the new curriculum which come in handy to nurture their talents and abilities. Lavington Girls, Ofafa Jericho high school, Nile Road Secondary, and Our Lady of Mercy Shauri Moyo as well as Kahawa Garrison took part in the class.
Other schools which staged a sterling performance includes Our Lady of Mercy South B as the best folk song, Precious Blood Riruta best girls arrangement, Strathmore School-boys set piece, Hospital Hill high school, State House Girls, Apostolic Carmel and St George's Girls.
This year's theme, "Enhancing the Creative Economy through Artistic Expression for Sustainable Development", captures the essence of what many teachers across the country have long embraced-using art and creativity as a means of healing, empowerment, and nation-building. But behind every moving performance, every well-rehearsed chorus and choreographed dance, lies a deeper, often painful story of perseverance.
This year's National Festival scheduled for August 2 to 14 at Meru School, Kaaga Girls, and Meru Teachers Training College promises not just artistic brilliance but powerful stories of what it means to teach in Kenya today.