TRANS NZOIA, Kenya – Kitale Town in Trans Nzoia County came to life on Thursday, July 16, 2026, after Mary Immaculate School, Kitale, emerged as the overall winner in the just-concluded Rift Valley Region Music Festival.
Following the exemplary performance at the festival held at Hill School, Eldoret, Mary Immaculate School, Kitale, under the Catholic Diocese of Kitale, received a heroic welcome upon their arrival back home.
The school, located in the Section 19 area, will be representing the Rift Valley region with six (6) items in the upcoming national competitions to be held at Kibabii University in Bungoma County.
“Our main goal is to reach the state lodge and raise our school flag higher and higher. That’s all. I like to say that all the schools in the Rift Valley which have qualified, let us work together because they say together we rise and divided we fall. And as you all know, this is Mary Immaculate, a school of champions, a school of excellence and a school of choice,” said one of the students.
Mary Immaculate School, Kitale, flies high
Emmanuel Dombi, the school president and Grade 9 learner, used the opportunity to thank God for what he described as a great chance to pronounce their school name at the gala should they win at the nationals.
“We do believe that we can do it. We are known as a school of champions, a school of excellence and a school of choice. And today we have all witnessed what we always say. We do say that with prayers we win,” he said.
Emmanuel reiterated that as Mary Immaculate, they are very glad to pronounce six items to the national level, of which they are hoping to pronounce more at the gala.
“We do know that with prayers, hard work, resilient integrity and all the good values pronounced in our C-R-E classes are the things which have aligned us and helped us to arrive at this level,” he added.
The Mary Immaculate management hailed
Addressing journalists at the school, Leonard Bett, the school headteacher, admitted that they expect to face stiff competition while revealing that they will involve God in their prayers to see them through.
“We have prepared enough, and the resources that we have been provided by our school have also helped us. I also want to thank everyone who has come here today to stand with us; it is a clear indication that you are wishing us well. When you look at CBC, it is all about nurturing talents, and that is why, as a school, we have set aside resources to ensure that we invest in our learners,” Bett explained.
Bett also said that as a school, they have participated in many music competitions, and it has been their tradition year in and year out that they have their learners taking part in such competitions.
“Our learners have been able to proceed with their studies to higher levels as a result of their talents, and it is not just through music alone but also other disciplines,” Bett further said.
Inside the 2026 national music festival
On her part, Stella Wamalwa, the school talent and music teacher, reiterated that for a long time, they have been going to the nationals but mostly with only two items.
“But today we have surpassed this mark, and we thank God for all this. We have won in three narratives, and now we are going to represent the Rift Valley category in Bungoma. We believe in God and also our teachers for holding our hands, and we know that we shall succeed in all the categories that we shall be taking part in,” explained Wamalwa.
The national event runs from August 1 to August 14, 2026, under the theme “Enhancing the Creative Economy through Artistic Production for Sustainable Development”. The 2-week event is expected to attract over 240,000 participants from across the country.
The festival includes competitors from various educational tiers—ranging from preschools and primary/junior schools to universities and technical institutions. This year’s events aim to boost the creative economy in line with national directives.
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