Kabarak University all set to host national music festival

Students of Makueni Girls High School rehearse a Kamba Folk song in preparation for the national Kenya Music Festival which starts on August 2, 2019 at Kabarak University in Nakuru County. PHOTO | ANTHONY NJAGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Nakuru County Commissioner Erastus Mbui said security has been beefed up.
  • The 2019 festival's theme is “Enhancing National Unity, Cohesion and Integration through Kenya Music Festival”.
  • Governor Lee Kinyanjui invited Kenyans and the residents of Nakuru County to attend the festival.

All is set for this year’s national competitions of the Kenya Music Festival which will kick off on Saturday at Kabarak University in Nakuru County.

The event will continue until August 15, 2019.

Kabarak University Vice-Chancellor Henry Kiplagat on Thursday said preparations are complete to host the 93rd edition of the event.

“The music fete will bring together participants from Kenya and the East Africa Community including Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda. Preparations are complete and we are ready to host the event,” said Prof Kiplagat.

The university has jointly been working with the national and county governments to prepare for the event.

SECURITY

Nakuru County Commissioner Erastus Mbui said security has been beefed up ahead of the event.

“Enough security personnel from both the national and county levels have been deployed to ensure there is safety throughout the event, “said Mr Mbui.

Kenya Music Festival Chairman Peter Wanjohi on Thursday said the event, which will be a culmination of the schools and colleges music extravaganza, will attract over 150,000 participants.

The festival’s Executive Secretary Ruth Agesa said participants will showcase the rich and rainbow-tinged cultures that define Kenya as a nation.

She revealed that the theme of the 2019 festival is “Enhancing National Unity, Cohesion and Integration through Kenya Music Festival”.

DIVERSE CULTURES

“Music and the festival in particular, promotes the preservation and appreciation of the diverse Kenyan cultures to foster national unity, patriotism, nationalism, the Kenyan identity and global recognition among other objectives. The event provides a platform for learners to identify and nurture talent in line with the competency-based curriculum reform initiative,” said Ms Agesa.

The festival will showcase a variety of genres in music which range from set pieces, folksongs, dances and oriental music among others.

SPECIAL COMPOSITIONS

“The event will also feature special compositions, African adaptations, elocution in English, French, German, Arabic and sign language,” Ms Agesa said.

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui invited Kenyans and the residents of Nakuru County to attend the festival and sample the varied display of talent, culture and values that define Kenya as a nation.

“This will help children experience cultures beyond our borders. I challenge the Kenya Music Festival to follow up and nurture talented students after they leave school. My administration is engaged in activities to promote upcoming artistes and nurture talent," said Governor Kinyanjui.