Kenya Joins Uganda in National Music, Dance & Drama Competition.

A total of 12 secondary schools from Kenya have arrived in Uganda to participate in this year’s Secondary School’s National Music, Dance and Drama Competition that kicked off on Sunday at Mbale Senior Secondary school, in Mbale town.

They include Kakamega High School, Kaaga Girls High School, St. Mary’s Lwak High school, Dagoretti High School, Dry’s Girls School, St. Jospeh Junior Seminary Molo and Bungoma High School.

Others are St. Jospeh’ Nyabondo, Sironga Girls High School, Chavakali Boys, State House Girls and Narok High School

A total of 63 secondary schools in Uganda have also registered for this year’s festival. Of these only 44 schools had arrived by Sunday morning when the competition kicked off.

They include Muni Girls SS, Gulu Army SS, Teso College Aloet, Trinity College Nabingo, Luzira Ss, Kinyara SS, Kibubura Girls SS, Namasagali SS, Trinty College Kabale, Tororo Girls, Buddo SS, Nabumali High School, Mbale SS, Westvile High School, St. Caterine Girls SS and Masindi Army SS among others.

The theme for this year’s competition is Vision 20140, ‘’Harnessing young people’s potential for Uganda’s Socio-economic transformation’’.

David Mugisha Bigiira, the coordinator of Secondary Schools Performing Arts, Ministry of Education and Sport says the inclusion of Kenya in this year’s festival is aimed at promoting East African Integration as people begin to understand each other’s culture in the region.

He says after this festival; Uganda will also participate in the Kenya Music festival due on August 8th 2016 in Nairobi.

‘’Because we are trying to actualise the idea of East African Integration...’’Said Bigiira.

 ‘’The coming of the Kenyans, the long term view is that we shall have all the east African countries coming together to have this music dance and drama festival, this way we shall be promoting the culture of the people and integrating them in one way or the other.’’ He added

Focusing on the theme, Bigiira asked the East African governments to invest in teenage girls and empower them to make important decisions and equip them to engage in the affairs of their communities so as to be on equal footing with their male counterparts.

He notes that investments are needed to protect their health, including sexual and reproductive health, to enable them to receive a quality education and expand economic opportunities, including those for decent work.

The core content of the competition focuses on Teenage Pregnancy, early marriages and violence against children which will be displayed through African traditional folk songs, creative dance, African instrumental composition, western choral singing, poems and speeches and drama among others.

Benson Baritazali Kule, the Commissioner Secondary Education asked participants and spectators to utilise the messages in these to create positive change within them and the communities in which they live.

The festival is schedule to end on July 27th. This is the first time the competition is being organised outside the Uganda National Theatre.

The 2017 National Festival will be held in Mbarara and will be hosted by Ntare High School, Mbarara High School, Mary Hill High School and Bweranyagi Girls School.