The government has begun implementing President William Ruto’s directive to integrate professional artists into the Kenya Music Festival programme.
The move is aimed at strengthening the country’s creative economy and helping young talents transition into sustainable careers.
The directives were unveiled at the opening of the Nairobi regional competitions of the 2026 Kenya Music Festival at Buruburu Girls High School.
Head of the Directorate of Field Coordination and Co-curricular Activities, Nelson Sifuna, stated that the move is designed to elevate the quality and real-world relevance of the students’ creative work.
“As you are aware, His Excellency the President directed that we find ways and means of even incorporating those artists who are talented, but they are not teachers. Already, we have started the process of incorporating them so that when they come, they can interact with our students and we have no fear,” said Sifuna
Government Moves to Link Learners with Industry Professionals
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Sifuna confirmed that they had already started the process of incorporating talented artists who are not necessarily trained teachers into the music festival.
According to Sifuna, the move seeks to expose learners to practical industry experience while improving the quality and market relevance of artistic productions showcased during the festival.
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He said the annual competition remains one of Kenya’s most important talent development platforms, bringing together participants from early childhood education institutions, primary and secondary schools, teacher training colleges, technical institutions and universities.
The festival currently features more than 600 competitive classes across music, dance, spoken word, drama and other creative disciplines, making it one of the largest co-curricular programmes in the country.
Top performers from the Nairobi regional championships will then progress to the national festival scheduled to take place at Kibabii University in Bungoma County in August.
He also acknowledged the support of various partners, including Equity Group, the Central Bank of Kenya, Farmers Choice and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.
Equity Commits KSh25 Million to Support Music Festival
Equity Bank has committed KSh25 million to support the 2026 Kenya Music Festival for the second consecutive year.
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Speaking on behalf of Equity Group Managing Director James Mwangi, Equity Bank Head of Education Peter Ndoro said the institution’s partnership with the festival seeks to create pathways for learners to transform their talents into viable livelihoods.
“Our observation was that for too long, children would come to music festivals, compete, win, and then simply go back home. We are intervening to change this. Our focus is on what happens after they demonstrate their talent, creating a clear path for them to earn a livelihood from their skills. The talent is clearly there; we have excited children and motivated trainers. Therefore, it is our responsibility to support these young learners in transforming that talent into sustainable careers,” said Ndoro.
Ndoro announced that Equity had sponsored 130 trophies for winners competing under the bank’s thematic categories and had set aside KSh4.4 million in prize money for regional competitions, KSh2.5 million for national winners and an additional Sh840,000 to reward trainers of winning teams at the national level.
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