Jubilant Mount Kenya University students display some of the trophies won at the 98th Kenya National Music Festival held at Kibabii University in Bungoma County. Photo/Courtesy
By Lawrence Ongaro
Mount Kenya University (MKU)’s creative arts groups have once again demonstrated their strength at the Kenya National Music Festivals, delivering an impressive performance that earned the institution 19 overall positions.
The university also secured 25 second-place finishes and 14 third-place positions in the 98th Kenya National Music Festival is being held at Kibabii University in Bungoma County from August 7 to 14, 2026.
MKU’s choirs and verse teams excelled across major categories, including gospel pop adaptations, specialised compositions and popular Kenyan tunes, further cementing the university’s reputation for artistic excellence.
MKU dominates key categories
The university choir showcased exceptional talent, securing top honours in the “Zilizo Pendwa” category with live instruments. The team also won in the adaptation and arrangement of popular gospel pop tunes and emerged victorious in the “Zinazovuma” category featuring popular secular tunes from Kenya.
The choir further topped a special composition sponsored by Equity Group, earning a Sh100,000 prize.
The MKU team also claimed victory in the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner-sponsored class and finished third in the Central Bank of Kenya-sponsored set piece, where it received Sh50,000.
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The Verses team added to the medal haul with victories in the Special Composition for the Communications Authority and a special composition on tuberculosis sponsored by Amref Kenya. The team also won the French verse category, among others.
Dean of Students Dr Emmanuel Awour said the team had “exceeded his expectations”, congratulating the participants and wishing them well.
Team leaders Tracy Mulindi and Brillian Ochieng’, overwhelmed with emotion, attributed their success to divine guidance, patience and sacrifice.
“Through God, our sacrifices have paid off,” one of the leaders said, reflecting on the rigorous rehearsal process.
The theme for this year’s event is “Enhancing the Creative Economy through Knowledge, Skills and Artistic Production for Sustainable Development”.
“The collective effort by MKU underscores the depth of talent within MKU’s creative arts department,” said Mr William Luta, Head of Sports, Film, Creative and Performing Arts.
Learners from schools, training colleges and universities across Kenya are competing in music, vibrant Zilizopendwa classics, classical tunes, African choral chants and elocution. President William Ruto is expected to attend a music festival gala where some of the top winners will be showcased.
A learning curve
Despite the remarkable success, the journey was not without challenges. Mr Luta said that while the team was “thirsty for more accolades”, fatigue set in towards the end of the competition, affecting concentration.
Nonetheless, the future remains bright as the team is largely composed of first- and second-year learners who have gained invaluable experience that will strengthen their performance in future competitions.
This year’s festival attracted the highest number of participating universities in recent years, making MKU’s achievement even more notable. The university’s consistent performance at national events highlights its commitment to nurturing creative talent alongside academic pursuits.
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Other participating universities included Kabarak University, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University, Kenyatta University, University of Embu, Masinde Muliro University, Cooperative University, Jomo Kenyatta University, Dedan Kimathi University, Egerton University, Alupe University, Machakos University, Multimedia University, Daystar University, Kibabii University, Technical University of Mombasa, Rongo University, Karatina University, Maseno University, St Paul’s University, University of Nairobi, Turkana University College and Kaimosi University.
Poised for future glory
With a young and promising squad that has now been battle-tested, MKU’s creative arts group is poised for greater heights in upcoming competitions.
The latest triumph is not just a collection of trophies but a testament to hard work, resilience and the vibrant artistic spirit thriving at MKU.
Since its inception in 1948, the Kenya Music Festival has grown into the largest documented cultural festival in East and Central Africa. What began as a modest performance platform has evolved into a nationwide celebration of music, dance and elocution, showcasing more than 600 competitive genres and drawing over three million participants each year.
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