Primary school children outwit teachers in drama extravaganza

Pupils of Kibera School for Girls celebrate after winning in the Unicef category during the 91st edition of Kenya National Music Festival at Masinde Muliro University on July 14, 2017. PHOTO | ANTHONY NJAGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The colleges could not match performances by the younger learners, who entertained audiences with colourful songs and dances at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega County on Saturday. 

  • The children have put up impressive shows and their elder participants will have to toil hard to match in their upcoming performances. 

  • Harambee Primary School from Nairobi County were the big winners of the day as they scooped five trophies.

Teacher training colleges appear to have been outperformed by primary schools in the ongoing Kenya National Music Festival.

The colleges could not match performances by the younger learners, who entertained audiences with colourful songs and dances at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega County on Saturday. 

As the festival entered its fifth day on Saturday, primary school pupils were bowing out of the stage to pave the way for secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

The children have put up impressive shows and their elder participants will have to toil hard to match in their upcoming performances. 

MEDIOCRE

Most of the teacher training colleges that performed at the festival left a lot to be desired.

Some of them were described by the adjudicators as “mediocre”.

Many did not seem to have mastered their lines and seemed to be struggling to finish their performances.

Some performers seemed desperate to get out of the stage as they did not seem to be comfortable in their presentations.

The only exception in the higher institutions category on Saturday were Kenya College of Accountancy University (KCA), Shanzu TTC and Ugenya TTC. 

KENYA UTALII COLLEGE

“This is disappointing. And these are the people who are going to train pupils in primary schools. Teachers’ colleges should up their game,” said one of the adjudicators, who did not want to be named since he is supposed to be neutral. 

Ugenya TTC students celebrate after winning in the CBK category during the 91st edition of Kenya National Music Festival at Masinde Muliro University. PHOTO | ANTHONY NJAGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Kenya Utalii College outshone their colleagues with Vigalala, a choral verse on community policing.

The verse spoke about the need to be aware of what is going on around you. 

Shanzu TTC had a piece about elections and the need to maintain peace and accepting defeat. Ugenya, Migori and Mosoriot also presented Swahili poems in the category. 

HARAMBEE

Harambee Primary School from Nairobi County were the big winners of the day as they scooped five trophies.

They also won in the own choice category. The school’s pupils had been trained by Anastasia Kigondu and Felix Mugo, who are music enthusiasts.

Moses Mudavadi Primary and Ikiliang primary schools were the other winners in a category sponsored by the Central Bank of Kenya.

The primary schools put up good performances and the judges had a hard time determining the winners. 

CBK has been sponsoring the thematic category and it aims to educate the public about its role in the country’s economic setup.