Worship songs brought down the Kenya Music Festival at Meru high school as learners sang glowing gospel music staged to welcome the divine through praise.
It was not just a music festival it was a worship experience, a living cathedral where voices, drums, and heartfelt lyrics fused into sacred.
Both in music, chrography the learners put their best foot forward belting their hearts out in praise of God.
From gospel ballads to sacred folk harmonies, the performances have carried an unmistakable theme: faith, unity, and surrender to God.
The Karen C performed Butu na Moyi “Night and Day” a song that felt like an open prayer originally sung by the Makoma and arranged by Pst Fanuel Demesi.
Drawing on metaphors of clay and water, she sang of closeness that cannot be broken, whether between two souls or between a believer and God. Her words “Nako kanga butu na moyi” (I cry out night and day) and “Nafukami liboso na nayo” (I kneel before you) resonated through the room, drawing tears from some and worshipful murmurs from others. The performance was both tender and powerful, a call to embrace humility and courage in faith.
Beatrice Otieno, principal of the school, stood beaming. Her students had represented Kenya in Uganda at the East African festival last year, and now they were again making their mark. “It’s not just about the competition,” she said.
“It’s about teaching our children to use their talents to glorify God.”
The diversity of the performances was also brought alive with St. Augustine Ngenia High School their rendition of Luhya pop tune Khuvira Vyosi by Pastor Fred Kituyi featuring Ole Willy, declaring God’s supremacy.
Moi Girls Nairobi lit up the stage with Rose Muhando’s Mbela, while Friends School Malava Boys delivered a perfectly choreographed Mungu Mwenye Nguvu by Solomon Mkubwa. St. Joseph’s Kitale gave a charged rendition of Muhando’s Achia, speaking to the spiritual warfare over blessings.
In the coastal and central regions, Mama Ngina Girls, Limuru Girls, and Matuga Girls moved audiences with Mkono wa Bwana and Muema. Lwak Girls captivated with Nikupendeze by Mercy Masika, a plea for everything in life to bring glory to God. From Eastern Kenya, Lukenya Girls offered Kibali Chako by Florence Andanyi, a heartfelt petition for God’s guidance. Sigoti Complex gave a moving performance of My Lover by Mercy Chiluo, while Afraha High School harmonized Gloria Muliro’s Nakubaliana with a joy that had the audience clapping along.
Beyond contemporary gospel, sacred folk songs carried deep cultural and spiritual significance. Ngendia High School from Nyanza emerged victorious in the category, their harmonies evoking ancient reverence. AIC Songot High School from Turkana sang God is the Prince of Peace, while Kochogo High School and Olosios Girls performed traditional pieces asking for blessings and children. Kianyaga Secondary presented a Kikuyu sacred song, calling for salvation through Christ, while Aquinas High School recounted the life, suffering, and crucifixion of Jesus.
From Western Kenya, Kwiliba Secondary praised God for deliverance from wicked ways, and St. Thomas Igumori from Eastern echoed Chronicles in reminding believers that “life is with you as long as you are with Him.” Concordia Secondary from the Coast brought the set to a serene close, blending faith with the rhythm of the sea.
Yet beyond the competition, the festival has been a reminder that music is both art and ministry, as young people uniting across Kenya’s vast cultural landscapes, declaring that whether in joy or in trial, God is worthy of praise.
