All roads lead to Nyeri as music festival begins

The 92nd edition of the Kenya National Music festivals begins today in Nyeri County.

The event to be held at Dedan Kimathi University, will feature performances from students in primary, secondary, tertiary colleges and universities.

It has been billed as the largest art festival in East and Central Africa. It will end on August 18.

On Sunday, the Director of Co-Curricular and Field Services at the Ministry of Education Chacha Mwita warned teachers that they will be held accountable for any ill behaviour their students will exhibit during the festival.

TRAVEL TIME

Mr Chacha said teachers accompanying the teams will put up with students at the festival's accommodation villages.

“Female teachers will be accommodated in the same venue as their female students. The same rule will also apply to their male counterparts,” he revealed.

“Teachers have also been directed to take care of the safety and welfare of the participants by ensuring that drivers do not speed, overtake carelessly, or drive under the influence of alcohol,’’ Mr Chacha said.

Mr Chacha said school buses carrying participants must travel during the day time as per the government policy.

“However, in the event where some teams may be unable to reach Nyeri during the day, proper arrangements must be made for the students to have stop overs at convenient areas on the route,” he went on.

“School buses transporting students should obey traffic rules by not carrying excess passengers. Drivers should take extra caution."

MARKETING

He said the university went out of its way to construct a new theatre hall to comfortably accommodate the more than 200,000 students attending the festival.

Kenya National Music Festival Chair Peter Wanjohi said preparations for the event are ready, and urged Kenyans to attend.

As the one in charge of all co-curricular activities in the ministry, Mr Chacha has welcomed the idea of promoting the festival to tourists to boost cultural tourism.

The festival in the last three years has attracted Ugandan teams as participants, and this year Rwanda may attend as observers for the first time.

FUN GALORE

In exchange, the best teams from Kenya have gone to Uganda to participate in the East Africa Drama, Music and Dance Festival.

Mr Chacha noted that the festival has been growing and improving since 1927.

“We expect entertainment, education and talent galore; and the very best since this festival began,” he said, praising the county for hosting the event for the first time.

Music, dance, traditional folk items and instrumentation presented by students of all ages as well as university performers will raise the dust in Nyeri for two weeks with a culmination of a State concert before President Kenyatta at Sagana State Lodge.