- President Ruto has announced the establishment of the Kenya National Talent Search, a year-round programme to identify talent in music, comedy, acting, poetry, film, dance and sport.
- The President has directed the State Department for Youth to roll out the programme without delay and has tasked Deputy President Kindiki with coordinating full government support.
- Ruto has also unveiled plans to expand the SomaPlay platform and has directed that Kenya Science and Engineering Fair winners be honoured at State House from next year.
President William Ruto has announced a new government initiative aimed at discovering and nurturing talent across the country, unveiling the Kenya National Talent Search during the State Concert of the 98th Kenya Music Festival held at Bungoma State Lodge on Friday.
The programme, according to the President, will be run in partnership with the private sector and will scout for talent and innovation in a wide range of creative and competitive fields, including music, comedy, acting, poetry, film, dance and sport. Unlike existing competitions that run periodically, the initiative is designed to operate continuously throughout the year and reach every corner of the country.
“The Government, working with the private sector, will therefore establish the Kenya National Talent Search to identify talent and innovation in music, comedy, acting, poetry, film, dance, sport, and other fields throughout the year and in every part of Kenya,” the President said.
Ruto has instructed the State Department for Youth to work alongside his Creative Economy Office and the Sports Fund to begin rolling out the programme immediately, without bureaucratic delay. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has been placed in charge of overseeing the initiative, with the President directing him to guarantee it gets full backing and coordination from government agencies.
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The head of state also revealed that the talent search will carry the theme “Kenya Beyond 2030” in its inaugural edition, and proposed that the same theme be adopted by school creative events from next year going forward. He urged the country’s youth to channel their creative energy toward envisioning the nation’s future growth and development.
Winners of the National Talent Search will not go unrecognised, as Ruto pledged to personally honour them at a future edition of the Kalasha International Film and TV Awards, positioning the awards as a capstone moment for the new initiative.
Beyond the talent search, the President also used the occasion to announce an expansion of SomaPlay, an education-entertainment platform run by the Ministry of Education that was used to stream this year’s Kenya Music Festival. The platform will now broaden its offering to include drama, sport, educational content and child-friendly entertainment, moves the President said would open up fresh avenues for Kenyan creatives to showcase their work and earn income from wider audiences.
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In a related directive, Ruto instructed the Ministry of Education to start bringing winners of the Kenya Science and Engineering Fair to State House beginning next year, criticising the decades-long omission of the competition’s champions from such recognition. “Our schools have held the annual science and innovation competition since 1962, yet the winners have never been presented at State House. That must change,” he said.
The announcements come as Kenya’s creative and innovation sectors continue to draw increasing government attention, with the President signalling a broader push to formalise pathways through which young talent across disciplines can be identified, supported and celebrated on a national stage.
By Masaki Enock
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