Department of Culture, Kenya

The ongoing 96th edition of Kenya Music and Cultural Festival at Makueni county.

Capacity building workshop for Creatives at the Hotel Sapphire on 20 and 21 November 2023, Organized by the Department of Culture.

Embracing a world of culture and connection as we welcome esteemed performing artists by the name LA TAKKARATA GRUPPO TEATRALE FOLK SAMNITES from ITALY.This is on a reciprocal cultural exchange program following a similar cultural exchange by Rapala Dance Ensemble held in Italy in October,2023.They are here to grace the 8th Kenya International Theatre Festival which is being held at Kenya Cultural Center with aim of promoting fun, sharing knowledge,and deepen cultural relations between the two countries.

The official opening of the 9th edition of the International African Textile Show (SITA), a pan-African event showcasing exclusively Africa Textile from over 40 Africa Countries held on 8/11/2023 Guinea Conakry. Our Kenyan Team was led by Okongo Manyibe from Department of Culture, with Designers Akinyi Odong OGW, and John Kaveke, Confrence participant Ephatus Wanjohi and models Michael Musyoka - RADG Model Management and Trizah Akala Miss University Africa - Kenya. The Kenyan exhibitor Brenda Onono.

Kenyan Delegates to Shine at 9th SITA Conference in Guinea, Celebrating African Textile Excellence.
The Kenyan delegation is led by Okongo Manyibe, Head of Delegation - State Department of Culture. Fashion designers Akinyi Odongo, O.G.W, Brenda Onono, and John Kaveke, Triza Muhenje, Miss University Africa Kenya 2022, veteran fashion designer John Kaveke, Mister University Runners Up 2019, Micheal Musyoka and Efantus Wanjohi Conference Participant, representing Kenya at the 9th edition of the International Fair of the African Textile (SITA) in Guinea. The event is scheduled to take place from 06-11 November 2023 in Conakry, Republic of Guinea.

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Capacity Building Programme for Cultural Practitioners in Cultural Expressions Workshop held in Nakuru on 3rd and 4th October, 2023. The Director of Culture Dr. Kiprop Lagat graced the Workshop.

The Principal Secretary, State Department for Tourism, Mr. John Ololtuaa, today represented the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, Hon Penina Malonza, in the African Ministers of Culture meeting in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco. The purpose of the meeting is to establish fundamental frameworks for enhancing cultural cooperation among African nations and reflect on implementation of essential mechanisms for the development of our common cultural action for the present and future well-being of our citizens.
The PS utilized this opportunity to highlight Kenya’s rich cultural diversity and invited the delegates to Kenya in July to witness the spectacular wildebeest migration in Maasai Mara.

The Department of Culture was this morning (28th April, 2023) privileged to host a delegation from China African Economy Trade investment. Led by Mr. Hao Hang Min, the visit was geared towards Tourism Promotion of Kenyan Culture and Heritage Sites.

The Department of Culture exhibiting its products and services during the marking of its 4th National Cultural Celebration and 10th anniversary ceremony which will be held from the 12th to 15th April 2023. Themed “ A decade of Excellence, Enhancing National Development, Cohesion, Identity and Pride”, this event has brought together all the 47 counties, Government ministries, Universities and other agencies involved in UNESCO areas of competencies including: Education, Natural Science, social and human sciences, culture, communication and information.

Once again, we find ourselves enmeshed in the festive Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who over 2000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to Christmas.

As the auspicious Christmas Day and happy advent of the New Year is upon us, we wish you all and your families a merry Christmas and New year filled with success, health and prosperity.

The ongoing Kenya Music and Cultural Festival capacity building workshop at The Machakos University Hotel.

As a department, we look forward to deepening the bilateral relations between Kenya and Tunisia and all other countries around the world. This is in alignment with our mandate to promote Kenyan cultural heritage both at the national and international levels.

Kenya’s State House choir thrills audience at Tunisia Dougga festival Audience was particularly amazed by how the Kenyan choir rendered the Arabic version of the Tunisian national anthem.

KENYA ROCKS THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF DOUGGA, TUNISIA 2022

Kenya and Tunisia enjoy a deep and robust cultural relation that encompasses diverse cultural
domains, including music and dance. In alignment with the bilateral agreement between the two
countries, the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage facilitated Kenya’s participation in the 46th edition of the International Festival of Dougga. The festival is considered to be one of the most important and oldest running annual cultural music festivals in Africa, hosted since 1920, within a UNESCO World Heritage and archaeological site.

The Dougga festival is composed of a series of festivals which are held in different cities across
Tunisia, including the International Festival of Tabarka, Krib-Siliana, Bou Makhlouf, Oued Mliz-Jendouba and Megrine, among others which Kenya is currently participating in. The aim of this festival is to showcase, market and promote Africa’s diverse cultural heritage in Tunisia. The extravaganza is a month -long event running from 15th July to 15th August, 2022, bringing together other African countries to celebrate, dialogue, network and market their cultural goods and services.

It’s against this spirit that the State House Choir was nominated to represent the country. The choir performances showcased Kenya’s musical diversity, creativity and ingenuity from all the regions of Kenya. The captivative, dynamic and creative performances left the Tunisian audiences dance in delight while yearning for more. The State House Choir is being accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage.

Also known as the “Cradle of humankind”, Kenya is home to some of the world most renowned
archaeological and paleoanthropological discoveries related to human origin, including the most complete skeletons of Homo erectus ( the Turkana boy) dated at 1.6 million years, and evidence of the oldest stone tool in the world dated at 3.2 million years among other famous scientific discoveries. Kenya is also home to one of the most culturally diverse groups including over 44 ethnic communities with rich and unique aspects of tangible and intangible heritage, including music and dance, social practices, rituals, oral traditions, and languages among others. The Country also prides itself as the home of the world’s most renowned athletic records and champions, including the famous Kipchoge Keino, among numerous others. Together, the combination of these unique, rich and diverse tangible and intangible cultural heritage resources positions Kenya as a world class destination for culture, tourism, sports, trade and investment opportunities in Africa and globally.

In recognition of the centrality of Kenya in human origin stories, it is imperative that Kenya’s cultural
heritage is amplified across the continents. In view of the above, the festival also presents the
Country with an opportunity to implement and contribute towards the achievement of a number of relevant national and international obligations such as; the Article 11 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, UN Sustainable Development Goals, the African Union Agenda 2063: the Africa we want,Charter for Africa Cultural Renaissance, whose objectives amongst others include encouraging cultural cooperation amongst members states with a view of strengthening African unity through promotion of inter cultural exchange.

Today, the Department of Culture in conjunction with Moi University marked world Kiswahili language day. The event was held at Moi university in Eldoret.

Today's cabinet meeting endorsed Kenya's ratification of one of the UNESCO Culture Conventions that the Department has been pushing for a while, that is the "1970 UNESCO Convention of the means of Prohibiting and Preventing the illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property"

KENYA NATIONAL PAVILION VENICE 2022.
Amb. Dr. Amina Mohamed, EGH, CAV, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage was the Chief Guest during the inauguration of the Kenya National Pavilion at the 59th edition of Venice Biennale on the 22nd April, 2022. The exhibition themed, "Exercises in Conversation" is curated by Jimmy Ogonga with Dr. Kiprop Lagat as the Commissioner and features 4 Kenyan artists: Kaloki Nyamai, Dickens Otieno, Syowia Kyambi and Wanja Kimani. The exhibition runs until 27th November, 2022.

Stakeholders meeting hosted by cultural and creative economy working group that took place on 1st of April 2022 at Gracia Gardens in Nairobi

Recently, the Task force for the implementation of the Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions (TK & CE ) Act 2016 held a meeting in Naivasha, from the 9 th - 11th February 2022. The aim of this meeting was to develop a workplan, identify proposed amendments and develop draft regulations for the TK & CE Act. This Act charges both the County and National governments with the responsibility of protecting TK from misuse, misappropriation and also development of a repository of genetic resources, TK & CE, in collaboration with institutions such as Kenya Industrial property Institute ( KIPI), Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) and Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS).

The task force is set to conduct consultations with State and Non-state actors/ stakeholders beginning from next month.

We shall keep you posted.

Thank you for your attention!

Strength lies in differences not in similarities

We take this opportunity to wish all the Kenyans a Merry Christmas and a happy new year

Our culture is our wealth.A great source of motivation

Celebrating our cultural diversity