Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has announced plans to increase allocation to Ministries and State Departments that deal with children affairs, noting that they are the ‘software’ of the nation which runs the ‘hardware’, referring to infrastructural development.
Speaking in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, during the official closing ceremony of the 98th Edition of the Kenya Music and Cultural Festivals (KMCF) 2025 with the theme Threads of Culture, Weaves of Opportunity, the DP said, “if you have upright children, patriotic children who are well-educated, then you have good infrastructure, you have a successful country.”
He mentioned that they are going to use the national budget in a little more flexible manner to invest in the software of the nation, national value, human dignity, family value, protecting the children from negative cultural practices, protecting families, fighting gender-based violence, establishing a culture of respect for one another, men and women, and children, and promoting coexistence among communities.
DP Kindiki emphasised that the Constitution demands all of us to be protected in our diversity, in our different languages, and in our different cultures.
“And as I sat here, listening to beautiful renditions and music and poems sung in our different languages, I was asking myself, sometimes we don’t appreciate that we have a beautiful, beautiful country in our diversity, a beautiful country in our organisations, beautiful colours and a lovely home,’” alluded the Deputy President.
The Cabinet Secretary (CS), Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts, and Heritage, Hanna Cheptumo, underscored the role music and arts play in communicating about serious issues in the society in a language well understood by the people.
She affirmed the ministry’s commitment to speaking against negative culture, like marrying off girls at a very early age and not giving them an opportunity to choose a person they love.
“We are talking every day, using every means possible to speak to the masses saying let every person be given an opportunity to choose and to do what they think is right,’” said CS Cheptumo.
The CS expressed concerns about femicide and GBV but expressed hope in addressing such cases through culture to speak about the negative things which are happening in our society and help inform and shape the behaviour of the communities.
“All these performances here today, as you have seen. They spoke about health in the language that they understand most. They speak about affordable housing. They speak about agriculture. They speak about peace and security,” she added.
Uasin Gichu Governor Dr. Jonathan Chelilim highlighted the importance of culture in promoting peace and unity, noting that “the more we embrace culture the more we make our lives easy.”
He said the performances showcased in the KMCF 2025 reflect the richness of Kenyan culture preserved, nurtured and passed on to future generations while also highlighting the importance of strengthening the communities while engaging with emerging issues in the society.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
