President WIlliam Ruto with Education CS Migos Ogamba follow proceedings during the National Drama Festival State Concert at the State House Nakuru on April 16, 2025/PCSThe government is streamlining the competency-based curriculum to deliver quality education that nurtures every child’s potential, President William Ruto has said.
The Head of State said the goal is to support all children to pursue their interests, be they academic, sporting, artistic, or musical. He noted that these are no longer co-curricular activities but viable career paths.
“Our education system should support all our children to pursue all the interests they have within the curriculum that we have,” he said.
On creative arts, the President noted that there is no more a powerful incubator for them than the schools and colleges drama and film festival.
“That is why the government has elevated this festival to the status of a State function. We do not merely support the arts symbolically; we back them strategically,” he said.
Ruto said the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival will always remain a centerpiece of artistic excellence, a stage where creativity is born and bred, and a mirror that reflects the soul of the society.
“This is how we preserve heritage, empower creators, and reach the world. However, more needs to be done to ensure that artistes earn from their digitised content,” he said.
He pointed out that the government is committed to ensuring that artistes earn from their work, adding that the government has strengthened policy and institutional support for the creative industry.
“The Kenya Film Commission will continue to play a vital role in promoting local talent, offering training, and facilitating international collaboration,” he said.
The President went on: “We have restored the Kenya National Theatre and expanded investment in film hubs, theatres, and cultural centres."
He said plans are underway to establish a Kenya National Film Studio to raise the quality and scale of local productions.
Consequently, the Kenya Film School is offering courses in acting, production and filmmaking, and equipping young people with real industry skills.
Through the Kenya Theatre Awards, the President announced, more than Sh8 million was awarded to outstanding creatives.
“This is demonstrable proof that the arts are not only about passion but also about profit,” he said.
President Ruto also called on teachers and parents to protect schoolchildren from predators who seek to corrupt them with toxic ethnicity and divisive politics.
The President said he will stand firm and ensure that children are not exploited by individuals who wish to destroy the country.
He noted that Kenya has more to celebrate than the negativity that some people wish to promote.
“I will not allow this nation to go down the drain with the people who are pursuing selfish and narrow interests,” he said.
President Ruto was categorical that schoolchildren must be protected from paedophiles and drug peddlers.
