University choral verse calls for action on 'moral crisis' in learning institutions

Precious Blood, Riruta performs at the Kenya Music Festival in Meru on August 10, 2025. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

A choral verse at a national music festival in Meru has stirred public debate after confronting what it described as a “moral crisis” in schools and universities.

Presented by Mount Kenya University (MKU), the performance blended poetry, rhythm and drama to warn of rising immorality, lesbianism and homosexuality among students, urging urgent action.

“It is time to expose the ills maovu tuyakemee, ishindwe, hayo ni mapepo. We should come out and say what is bedevilling our institutions so that we can get ourselves from this danger,” the group recited.

The piece alleged that some students abandon their values and identities upon joining higher learning institutions.

“When they join institutions, they forget their gender. John converts his name to Maria while Sarah coils her name to Zachariah. We witness many happenings that drive the current generation into oblivion. Where did we go wrong as a society?” it continued.

MKU representatives said the aim was to spark dialogue, not to stigmatise.

 “Our goal is to use art to reflect societal issues. If our institutions are facing moral challenges, then it is our duty as students, educators and citizens to confront them honestly,” said one member.

The verse called on parents, teachers, religious leaders and policymakers to help restore what it termed the moral compass of the nation’s youth.

Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala said the festival offers a platform for shaping national discourse.

“Art is more than entertainment it is persuasion, expression and healing. Music and performance can tell the story of climate change in a way data alone cannot. They can speak against gender-based violence more powerfully than policy documents, and they can call us to unity when the nation is under strain,” noted Inyangala.

She encouraged young people to see creativity as a career path, noting that the government is committed to supporting learners “from the classroom to the stage and into the market.”