THE KENYA MUSIC AND CULTURAL FESTIVAL.
Amongst the attendees were Assistant Directors Mr. Calistus (left) and Ms.Milkah (second from left).
The Department of Culture in the State Department for Culture, the Arts and Heritage, under the Ministry of Gender, Culture and Children Services, in collaboration with the National Kenya Music and Cultural Festival Organizing Committee, conducted a capacity building workshop for trainers, adjudicators and County officials at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) Dairy Research Institute at Naivasha in Nakuru County.
The workshop sought to equip participants drawn from the 47 counties with a deeper understanding of the Festival syllabus, including classes, categories, set pieces, performance standards and festival objectives. It also aimed at harmonizing adjudication practices, enhancing coordination and strengthening County-level implementation structures ahead of the forthcoming national event.
The Kenya Music and Cultural Festival (KMCF) is one of the Department’s flagship projects that promotes Kenya’s diverse cultural heritage and nurtures artistic talent as a vehicle for national cohesion, creative economy growth and cultural diplomacy. The festival brings together performers and cultural practitioners from across the country to celebrate Kenya’s rich traditions through music, dance, drama, and spoken word.
This year’s 98th Edition festival will be held from 30th November to 8th December,2025 at Moi Girls High School, Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, under the theme “Threads of Culture, Weaves of Opportunity,” (Nyuzi za Utamaduni, Urembo wa Fursa). The theme underscores the interwoven nature of culture as a source of identity, creativity and opportunity for sustainable development.
The capacity-building initiative reflects the Ministry’s continued commitment to strengthening the cultural and creative sectors by empowering stakeholders to deliver a high-quality and impactful national festival that aligns with Kenya’s development agenda and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).