National drama and film festivals begin

Matuga Girls High School Celebrates after winning second best dance during the 2018 Kenya National Drama Festival on April 12, 2018. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The festival is sponsored by the Kenya Film Classification Board.
  • KFCB plans to use the event to identify and nurture talent beyond school.

The 2019 Kenya National Drama and Film Festival has started in earnest, with Nairobi County's event being held at Dagoretti High School last week.

Riara Springs Girls’ High School, Moi Girls, Lenana School, Sunshine Secondary School, Precious Blood Girls and Drumvale Secondary School were impressive as they tackled the theme “Promoting Moral Responsibility among the Youth through Theatre and Film”.

The festival is sponsored by the Kenya Film Classification Board. KFCB plans to use the event to identify and nurture talent beyond school.

Sunshine’s play Delta of Valhalla painted a sad state of affairs of human-wildlife conflict. The play is produced by their principal, Paul Otula. It is about poaching and taking care of natural resources. Lodung (Roy Kyalo) is the father of Jebii (Carlton Jerry), who is in love with Kokaten (Amani Mtsumi). Lodung kills an elephant and Jebii and Kokaten see it. Its climax is the exposure of the ills committed by Lodung and his men. The play is scripted by Inzera Newton and Collins Amaru.

Moi Girls School Nairobi's play Itapasuka is about how a girl from a poor background gets influenced by her peers into the life of “sponsors”.

Drumvale Secondary School's The Voyage is about a schoolgirl who is appointed the entertainment captain. She gets carried away by the post and concentrates on her celebrity life.

This affects her academic performance. She is desperate for help. Her friend offers to “help” her but, unfortunately, she gets introduced to drugs. She suffers hallucinations, making her think she is an international star, only to wake up in hospital with an expulsion letter.

The choral verse from Moi Girls, My Pastor My Preacher, frowns on pretence pastors who take advantage of their followers by promising healing from God.

Loreto Convent Msongari presented a spoken word piece titled Timeless Soon and a play, The Catwalk Cartel. The spoken word addresses absentee fathers and the impact lack of a father figure has on teenagers as they grow up. It tells the story of a student leader who forms a dangerous cartel whose sole aim is to ensure she remains in power at all costs.

Adjudicators were Dr Evans Mugarizi of Moi University, Judy Baraza of Nakuru Elite School and Bernard Nyanje from Talanta Institute.