Emmy, gospel musicians thrill fans during Pamoja Festival

Gospel singer Emmy Kosgey with county leaders during the Pamoja Festival to usher in the new year at Eldoret Sports Club on Monday night. [Peter Ochieng, Standard]

Thousands of revellers turned up for the Pamoja Festival in Eldoret to usher in the New Year.

The star of the event was gospel musician Emmy Kosgey who sang some of the crowds'  favorite hits to usher in 2019.

Gospel artists from neighbouring Tanzania were also present and were joined by upcoming musicians from across the country.

The event, that ran until the wee hours of Tuesday, also attracted local leaders, including Governor Jackson Mandago, Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen and Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter among other leaders.

The musicians kept the audience on their feet for most of the evening amid messages of peace, unity and love in the country. The musicians were dressed in different traditional attires from the country and other nations adding colour to the event.

The event was held in collaboration with the Standard Group.

Emmy urged residents to support the partnership that has been running for the last eight years.

"It has helped promote talent and we look forward to strengthening the partnership in future," she said.

Governor Mandago said the country will be successful in the implementation of its development agenda if young people are given government tenders . He said that the country needs to empower youth as a means of growing the economy rather than promoting foreigners.

“I'm happy to see such a crowd mainly of young people and that is why we need to set aside 50 per cent of our budget to help them come up with businesses. They are the majority and for a better future, they need to be considered,” said Mandago

He added: Today is not a political rally and that is why I have asked the leaders to put aside politics and find a way in which our generation can be helped. Let us give our youths tenders so that we can retain money to enable us run our projects without borrowing loans,” he said.

Leaders present pledged to shun 2022 succession politics and concentrate on the implementation of the Big Four agenda.

Bishop Jackson Kosgey, Emmy's father, urged Kenyans to embrace each other as part of unity of the country.

“We must continue loving our neighbours to enable us have a united nation. Everyone must be responsible for peace,” he  said.