Drug abuse takes centre stage as Kakamega County drama festivals come to an end

The 2026 Kakamega County Senior Schools Annual Drama Festivals concluded last weekend at Kivaywa Boys High School after several days of captivating performances with the fight against drug abuse emerging as a dominant theme in several presentations.

The festival brought together dozens of secondary schools competing in a wide range of categories including plays, cultural creative dances, modern dances, choral verses, mimes, spoken word, narratives, solo verses, solo dances and TV broadcast presentations.

The event turned the host school into a lively stage where students blended art, storytelling and music to deliver powerful messages while entertaining audiences.

Observers and adjudicators described this year’s festival as one of the most competitive in recent years, noting that the quality of performances was exceptionally high. Students used drama, poetry and dance to highlight the dangers of substance abuse and the importance of making responsible life choices, demonstrating the continued role of school drama festivals as a platform for both entertainment and education.

One of the standout performances came in the play category where Fesbeth Academy emerged the overall winner after staging a powerful and well-coordinated production that impressed adjudicators with its creativity, acting and stage management. St. Mary’s School Mukumu, widely known as Mukumu Girls, finished second after delivering a strong performance.

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The choral verse category also produced one of the biggest surprises of the festival after Shiduha Secondary School, a relatively new entrant, stunned the audience with a highly creative and energetic presentation to take first place. Nangili Girls High School secured second position in the category.

In modern dance, St. Peter’s Boys High School Mumias captivated the audience with an energetic and well-synchronized routine to win the category, while Musoli Girls High School finished second.

The same school also dominated the spoken word category, emerging as the winner ahead of Fesbeth Academy, which finished second.

In solo dance, Booker Academy claimed first position with a captivating performance, while St. Peter’s Boys finished second.

The mime category was won by Bishop Sulumeti Girls High School after presenting a powerful silent performance that relied on expressive movement and dramatic gestures to communicate its message. Butere Girls High School finished second.

Butere Girls also excelled in the solo verse category where the school emerged the winner, while Fesbeth Academy took the second position.

In comedy, St. Paul’s Ebusia Secondary School entertained the audience with a humorous but thought-provoking performance to take the top spot, while Inaya Secondary School finished second.

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The TV broadcast category saw Silungai Girls High School emerge victorious with a well-produced presentation, while the host school Kivaywa Boys High School finished second.

In the narrative category, Koyonzo Boys High School secured first place, followed by Eshibinga Secondary School.

Meanwhile, the Cultural Creative Dance (CCD) category saw the host institution Kivaywa Boys High School take the top position, with Namagara Secondary School finishing second.

Beyond competition, the festival also offered moments of reunion and reflection among teachers and drama patrons. Many participants were delighted to reconnect with experienced drama mentor Mwalimu Minishi whose school, Fesbeth Academy, delivered one of the most memorable performances of the festival.

With the county competitions now concluded, the winning schools will advance to the regional drama festivals scheduled to take place at St. Monica Chakoli Girls Senior School, where they will represent Kakamega County against other schools from across the Western region.

For many students, however, the event was about more than trophies. Through drama, poetry and dance, young performers once again demonstrated the power of creative arts in shaping conversations, inspiring change and giving voice to issues affecting society.

By Godfrey Wamalwa