Friday 14th August, 2026 07:07 PM|
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has called for greater emphasis on arts and sports in Kenya’s education system, saying their integration into the Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) curriculum will help nurture talent and build a values-driven nation beyond Vision 2030.
Kindiki spoke on Friday, August 14, 2026, during the 98th State Concert of the Kenya Music Festival at the State Lodge in Bungoma, where he joined President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto.
Arts and sports in education
Kindiki said the shift in the education system was helping identify and nurture gifted children at an early age, giving them opportunities to pursue careers in music, drama, performing arts and sports.
“For more than six decades, Kenya’s education curriculum concentrated on the promotion of academics in the natural and social sciences, relegating music, drama, the arts and creatives to the periphery as extra-curricular activities,” Kindiki said in a statement after the event.
He described music as both a viable career path and a tool for instilling hard work, integrity and patriotism while discouraging corruption, laziness and unethical behaviour.
According to the Deputy President, Kenya’s economic transformation and citizen empowerment will depend on strong ethical values.
Ruto backs equal pathways
President Ruto, addressing the same gathering, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to giving equal recognition and support to different education pathways.
“No pathway is superior to the other. Children who are good in mathematics are as good as children who are good in the arts, and all of them must be given an equal chance. That is why, as we employ teachers and plan our budgets, we have made sure that, going into the future, all pathways are funded sufficiently,” the President said.
Ruto said CBET was designed to develop practical skills, creativity and individual strengths rather than relying mainly on memorisation and examinations.
He said teacher recruitment and budget allocations were being aligned to ensure academic, technical and creative pathways receive adequate resources.
Creative economy
The President also highlighted the creative economy as part of Kenya’s wider development agenda, pointing to the collection of royalties through the e-Citizen platform.
Ruto said 70 per cent of royalties collected is reserved for distribution to artists and copyright holders. He also cited platforms such as SomaPlay as part of efforts to expand opportunities for creatives to reach audiences and earn sustainable incomes.
He urged young people to take an active role in shaping Kenya’s long-term development, saying the country’s future beyond 2030 would depend on their ideas, talents and innovation.
The annual Kenya Music Festival brings together learners from across the country to showcase their abilities in music, drama, dance and other creative disciplines, providing a platform for young people to develop and display their talents.
