Girls shine as boy's struggle in the drama festival

Gertrude Wangechi a pupil at Karatina Urban Primary School, Nyeri during the Kenya National  Drama and Film festival on April 12,2026.[Kibata Kihu, Standard]

Girls’ schools have emerged winners at this year’s national drama and film festival, dominating the stage, scooping top awards and setting the tone on thematic expression.

This while boys’ schools struggle to keep pace raising fresh concerns about the place of the boy child in creative arts.

From plays and narratives to spoken word and dance, performances by girls’ schools stood out for their depth, originality and emotional resonance, addressing complex social issues with boldness and clarity.

One of the most symbolic performances was Kisumu Girls’ cultural dance Juogi, a tribute to the late Raila Odinga. The dance told the story of a young girl, Awiti, who defies gender norms to play the nyatiti a traditional instrument reserved for men.

Despite resistance from her mother, Awiti’s talent shines through, eventually earning acceptance and transforming family perceptions.

“The story challenges deeply rooted beliefs about gender roles. It shows that talent has no gender,” said one of the directors.

At the heart of the festival’s highlights was ‘Nembo la Urembo’ by St Clare’s Nembu Girls, Nairobi, which clinched the award for best item on avoiding online vices under the Teens Haven category.

The play explores the tension between education and societal expectations, as a bright student risks losing her scholarship unless she participates in a beauty pageant.

“Je, urembo ni hatima yangu au elimu?” the protagonist asks, in a powerful moment that drew applause from the audience.

The production did more than entertain it sparked reflection on the pressures facing young girls in a digital age increasingly shaped by image, validation, and online influence.

“The girls are not just performing, they are interrogating society,” said a drama adjudicator. “They are asking difficult questions about identity, values, and the future.”

St George’s Girls, Nairobi, also dominated multiple categories, winning awards for both narrative and play.

Their production ‘The TikToker’ explored the role of ICT in modern life, capturing the allure and dangers of social media fame.

Their play Rootless, which placed among the top productions nationally, tackled issues of identity and belonging within the Competency-Based Education (CBE) system.

“These performances show a high level of awareness and creativity,” said a festival official. “The girls are connecting classroom learning with real-life experiences.”

In the spoken word category, Makueni Girls delivered a deeply emotional piece, Barua Kapa, which won best spoken word on career choices. The performance depicted a student overwhelmed by academic pressure under CBE, expressing her struggles through a heartfelt letter.

“I write this letter not with ink, but with tears,” the performer lamented, capturing the psychological toll of expectations placed on learners.

Another moving performance came from the narrative ‘Namayana’, which highlighted stigma and trauma. The story follows a student ostracized for a condition later revealed to be linked to female genital mutilation. Through powerful storytelling, the piece addressed issues of health, discrimination, and empathy.

Meanwhile, Nyakach Girls impressed with a modern dance on CBE titled ‘Proper Trash,’ while Taka Girls from the North Eastern region won best narrative on career choices, further cementing the dominance of girls’ schools across categories.

Fesbeth High School’s ‘The 4th Wiseman’ highlighted integrity in the face of exam malpractice where a student chooses honesty over complicity in exam malpractice, even at great personal cost. His actions lead to systemic change, highlighting the role of integrity in national development.

Other schools included winners of KSL play, St. Bridgid’s Akorei, the ‘Unwritten Sin’, Spoken word by Star of the Sea, ‘Dawati la Siri’, Alliance girls high school ‘The Making of a Thief,’ While girls excelled, boys’ schools delivered fewer standout performances, though some productions still resonated.

Kianyaga Boys’ play ‘The Rebound’ explored corruption in school sports, while Ringa Boys’ narrative ‘Boina’ and Dagoretti High’s cultural dance ‘Tikiti’ also earned recognition, but observers noted that boys’ entries lacked the consistency and thematic depth seen in girls’ performances.

“This gap is becoming more visible each year. We need to ask ourselves why the boy child is not expressing himself as strongly in creative spaces,” said Albert Barasa, drama teacher at Nairobi Aviation College.

The festival also highlighted emerging issues affecting learners, including online behavior, relationships, mental health, and the pressures of the CBE system. Many of these themes were more prominently explored in girls’ productions.

“True support lies in listening, understanding, and allowing young people to define their own paths,” said one adjudicator.

Education stakeholders say the trend may reflect broader societal challenges facing boys, including reduced mentorship, shifting gender expectations, and limited engagement in the arts.

“Girls are being empowered to speak, to question, to lead and it is showing in their performances The boy child, on the other hand, risks being left behind if deliberate efforts are not made,” said an education expert.

“The girls are more expressive and confident on stage but for boys, sometimes they hold back,” said Moses Awiti from a school in Nyanza.

Thogoto Teachers Training College students rehearse a cultural dance "Mathagu ma Power" during the Kenya National Drama and Film festivals on April 8, 2026. [Purity Mwangi, Standard]

National Parents Association chairman Silas Obuhatsa said while the girl child continues to rise, there is an urgent need to bring the boy child along, ensuring that the stage like society remains balanced, inclusive, and reflective of all voices.

“The dominance of girls’ schools has sparked concern about the apparent lag among boys. As stakeholders we need to step in and address the gap,” Obuhatsa said.