The Government has been asked to support talent development among teacher trainers to ensure better delivery when they finally get to the field to mold learners.
Speaking at Kenyenya Teachers Training College (TTC) in Kisii County during the college’s 9th Annual Cultural Festival, the area’s branch KUPPET Executive Secretary Joseph Abincha said that teachers have a big influence in children and investment in developing their talents is guaranteed to trickle down to learners.
The Festival saw trainees and their teachers showcase a variety of the country’s diverse cultures through cooking, song and dance, traditional rites of passage and plays.
In the cooking category, the Kisii community presented the Ugaki which is prepared from millet flour and eaten with sour milk, the Luo community displayed a variety of fish cooked with different methods while the Kalenjin and Maasai presented Mursik, sour milk, served from traditional gourds and roasted meat.
The Mijikenda community brought the function to life as they played Taarab music sung to bless newly married couples as chants and recitations mixed with graceful shaking of heads from side to side by the Kuria of Migori County frenzied the atmosphere.
Other activities that featured included the traditional preparation of fire by Kisii and Suba communities and the administration of first aid for snake bites, fire and miscarriage victims.
The TTC Principal Duncan Egesa applauded the participants for putting up an electric show and urged the government to continue supporting them.
Egesa also asked the government to upgrade the infrastructure and facilities at the institution noting that the college had overstretched classrooms and dormitories unable to accommodate the current 800 trainees in the college.
He said that the lack of enough dormitories had forced some trainees to rent houses outside the school which posed security risks to them.
Deputy Principal John Ngedia termed the festival as successful and attributed the success to the immense support from the Principal’s office, the community and cooperation from students.
He noted that there were a few setbacks such as the lack of original artifacts that were need to lend authenticity to the ceremony.
Ngedia regretted the scarcity of elderly informants, whom he said a majority had died with untapped indigenous knowledge.
He challenged the youth to take advantage of advanced technology to record and store their culture for posterity.
Abigael Lemasho from Narok County and Boniface Nyamwaro were crowned Miss and Mr. Kenyenya for this year.
By Enock Okong’o
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