Mount Kenya University Extends Winning Streak at 97th National Music Festival

Mount Kenya University (MKU) once again proved its creative might at the 97th Kenya Music Festival, which concluded on August 16th in Meru County. The festival, themed “Enhancing the Creative Economy through Artistic Expression for Sustainable Development”, attracted nearly 150,000 participants, with events staged at Meru School, Kaaga Girls, and Meru Teachers Training College.

MKU walked away with 17 wins, 10 runners-up positions, and eight third-place finishes, excelling particularly in African and Western instrumentation, verse categories, cultural dances, and choir arrangements. Their choral verse, which boldly tackled what it called a “moral crisis” in schools and universities, sparked intense public debate.

Head of Sports, Film and Creative Arts, Mr. William Luta, praised the students:

“We only field our current, active students — and seeing them excel after hard training is deeply fulfilling. We’ve identified areas to improve and will be back stronger for the 98th edition in 2026.”

Despite MKU’s stellar run, Kenyatta University (KU) emerged overall winners with more than 30 victories, cementing its dominance at the national stage. Other universities that impressed included the University of Nairobi and Daystar University.

MKU’s University Students Welfare Principal, Mr. Peter Waweru, credited the strong results to institutional support and promised even greater backing in the future:

“We’ll continue to ensure our students have the best resources and instruments to compete at the highest level.”

The 12-day festival highlighted Kenya’s creative talent, though concerns were raised over gender disparity. National chairperson Prof. Frederick Ngala noted that female participants (95,000) far outnumbered males (45,000), urging greater support for the boy child.

Higher Education PS Beatrice Inyangala reminded participants that the festival is more than art:

“Music and performance shape national discourse, from climate change to gender-based violence and national unity. Creativity must be embraced as a career path.”

With the curtains drawn in Meru, winning groups — including MKU — now prepare to represent Kenya at the East Africa Music, Dance and Drama Festival in Kampala, Uganda, from August 17th to 25th.