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Playwrights and music composers challenged to create content that promote national moral values

Playwrights  and  music  composers have been challenged to create content that promote national moral values and peaceful  co-existence.

The  Rift  Valley  Regional Coordinator (RC), Mongo  Chimwaga  said  theater and music must not be used to exhibit acts  and  messages that promote ethnicity, nudity and violence.

“It   is  time  for  playwrights, music  composers  and  bloggers to self-censure content that glorifies drug abuse, sexual  immorality, and  illusionary get rich schemes targeting the youth. If used appropriately the drama and music have the  greatest  potential in promoting patriotism, national unity and high moral values”, said the administrator.

The  RC  spoke  when  he  officially inaugurated this year’s Regional National Music Festivals at Afraha High School in  Nakuru.

The  event has attracted 200,000 participants from Special needs schools, Early Childhood Education Centres, Primary and  Secondary Schools  drawn from 14 counties in the region.

Chimwaga  observed that in the wake of technological advancement that has increased uptake of social media, the country  was  grappling with challenges posed by undesirable content posted by both local and foreign music composers  and content  developers.

The  11 day  festival that ends on June 29 has also for the first time brought on board Technical Vocational Education Training Institutions (TVETs) and is being graced by 10, 000 teachers and 22 adjudicators who will judge various genres,  including  singing games, set pieces, poems, folk songs, folk dances and sign language.

The  Regional Director of Education (RDE), John  Ololtuaa  noted that the event themed “Enhancing National Unity, Cohesion  and Integrity” had been organised in harmony with the newly rolled out Competence Based Curriculum.

Ololtuaa  who said combined contingents of security personnel had been deployed to the venue to guard the participants said  teachers had been instructed to scout for talent among the students and promote it.

“The  Ministry of education is committed to nurturing and promoting competencies of the participants from an early age. The  county should begin looking at performing arts and creative writing as sources of employment. It is a multi billion  industry which Kenya must exploit through development of talent,” said  Ololtuaa.

Chimwaga   said  theatre and performing arts were crucial in shaping attitudes and preferences of the country’s young  generation.

He  noted  that issues like corruption, negative ethnicity and lawlessness should be tackled by being portrayed as
undesirable things in any society.

“Inculcating  positive  moral  values and high social standards in children at an early age amounts to setting the foundation  of  dismantling  ills that have bedeviled this country for generations particularly bad politicking and corruption,” noted  the RC.

He  further said in times of tension, drama and music had the capacity to whittle down mistrust. Through music said the  administrator the country’s history can be preserved for posterity.

By  Anne  Mwale

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