Kenya’s education system
consists early childhood education, primary, secondary and tertiary. Early
childhood education takes at least one year, primary eight years, secondary
four and university four or six years depending on the course. Preschooling,
which targets children from age four to five, is an integral component of the
education system and is a key require ment for admission to Standard One (First
Grade). At the end of primary education, pupils sit the Kenya Certificate of
Primary Education (KCPE), which determines those who proceed to secondary
school or vocational training. Primary school age is 6-13 years. For those who
proceed to secondary level, there is a national examination at the end of Form
Four – the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), which determines
those proceeding to the universities, other professional training or
employment. The Joint Admission Board (JAB) is responsible for selecting
students joining the public universities. The minimum university entry grade is
C+ at KCSE. However, due to stiff competition, only those with higher grades
such as B+ and above are guaranteed admission. Private universities admit
students on th ir own but are guided by the rules and regulations provided by
the Commission for Higher Education. Other than the public schools, there are
many private schools in the country, mainly in urban areas. Similarly, there
are a number of international schools catering for various educational systems
such as American, British, French, German, Japanese and Swedish.
A Maasai
man in traditional attire.
Kenya is a diverse country,
with many different cultures represented. Notable cultures include the Swahili
on the coast, pastoralist communities in the north, and several different
communities in the central and western regions. Today, the Maasai culture is
well known, due to its heavy exposure from tourism although it is only a minor
tribe. Even though they are a minor tribe, they are well-known and are a
nomadic tribe who adore their upper bodies and are very well-known for all the
jewellery that they wear.
Apart from the national
flag, Kenya is yet to have a national dress that cuts across its diverse ethnic
divide. With each of the more than 42 ethnic communities in Kenya having its
own traditional practices and symbols that make it unique, this is a task that
has proved elusive in the past. However, several attempts have been made to
design an outfit that can be worn to identify Kenyans, much like the Kente'
cloth of Ghana.
The most recent effort was
the Unilever-sponsored "Sunlight quest for Kenya's National Dress". A
design was chosen and though it was unveiled with much pomp at a ceremony in
which public figures modelled the dress, the dress design never took hold with
the ordinary people.
Kitenge, a cotton fabric
made into various colours and design through tie-and-dye and heavy embroidery,
is generally accepted as the African dress. Though used in many African
countries, Kitenge is yet to be accepted as an official dress as it is only
worn during ceremonies and non-official functions. The Maasai wear dark red
garments to symbolise their love for the earth and also their dependence on it.
It also stands for blood that is given to them by nature. The Kanga (Khanga,
Lesso) is another cloth that is in common use in practically every Kenyan home.
The Kanga is a piece of clothing about 1.5m by 1m, screen printed with
beautiful sayings in Kiswahili (or English) and is largely worn by women around
the waist and torso. Kangas are a flexible item, used in many ways such as
aprons, child-carrying slings, picnic blankets, swimwear etc. However, except
among the coastal people, it is usually not worn as a full outfit.
Kenya is home to a diverse
range of music styles, ranging from imported popular music, afro-fusion and benga
music to traditional folk songs. The guitar is the most popular instrument in
Kenyan music, and songs often feature intricate guitar rhythms. The most famous
guitarist of the early 20th century was Fundi Konde. Other notable musicians of
the 60s era include Fadhili Williams (recognised by many as the author of the
hit song "Malaika" that was later re-done by Miriam Makeba and Boney
M and Daudi Kabaka.
Popular music in the 1980s
and 90s could be divided into two genres: the Swahili sound and the Congolese
sound. There are varying regional styles, and some performers create
tourist-oriented "hotel pop" that is similar to western music. Them
Mushrooms, later renamed Uyoga, was one of the popular groups in this era.
In the recent past, newer
varieties of modern popular music have arisen which are mostly local
derivatives of western hip-hop. Two sub-genres have emerged: "Genge"
and "Kapuka" beats. This has revolutionized popular Kenyan music and
created an industry dominated by the youth. There is also underground Kenyan
hip hop that gets less radio play than Kapuka or Genge due to the fact that it
is less club oriented and more focussed on social commentary. Early pioneers
include the late Poxi Presha with his famous songs like 'Otonglo time', other
artists include Kalamashaka, Ukoo Fulani and K-South.
Mainstream artists include Nameless,
Redsan, Necessary Noize, Nonini, Juacali, Kleptomaniax, Longombaz, Suzzanna
Owiyo, Achieng Abura, and others. Their sounds run the gamut from Reggae/Ragga,
Pop, Afro-Fusion to Hip-Hop.
Many Kenyan performers will
mix languages in any single song, usually English, Swahili, their tribal
language or Sheng (a hybrid of Kenyan languages and English/Swahili).
Kenya is active in several sports,
among them football (soccer), rallying, rugby, cricket and boxing. But the
country is known chiefly for its dominance in cross country and road running,
and middle and long-distance athletics. Kenya has regularly produced Olympic
and Commonwealth Games champions in various distance events, especially in
800m, 1,500m, 3,000m steeplechase, 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathons. Kenyan
athletes (particularly Kalenjin) continue to dominate the world of distance
running, although competition from Morocco and Ethiopia has somewhat reduced
this supremacy.
The Marathon world record
holder, Paul Tergat, and the four-time women's Boston Marathon winner and
former world champion, Catherine Ndereba, are among the best-known athletes in
Kenya.
Retired Olympic and Commonwealth
Games champion Kipchoge Keino, who helped usher in Kenya's ongoing distance
dynasty 1970s even before fellow Commonwealth Champion Henry Rono's spectacular
string of world record performances, is currently Kenya's most famous
sportsman.
Lately, there has been
controversy in Kenyan athletics circles, with the defection of a number of
Kenyan athletes to represent other countries, chiefly Bahrain and Qatar. The Kenyan
Ministry of Sports has tried to stop the defections, but they have continued
anyway, with Bernard Lagat the latest, choosing to represent the United States.
Kenya will compete at the 2007
Cricket World Cup, also having taken part in the 2003, 1999, and 1996
tournaments.
Kenya is making a name for
itself in rugby. It is popular in Kenya especially with the annual Safari
Sevens tournament. Kenya sevens team ranked 9th in IRB Sevens World Series for
the 2006 season.
Kenya has also been a
dominant force in ladies' volleyball within Africa, with both the clubs and the
national team winning various continental championships in the past decade. The
women team has also competed at the Olympics and World Championship but without
any notable success.
Kenya was a regional power
in soccer but its dominance has been eroded by wrangles within the Kenya
Football Federation. This has led to a suspension by FIFA.
In the motor rallying
arena, Kenya is home to the world famous Safari Rally, commonly acknowledged as
one of the toughest rallies in the world, and a part of the World Rally
Championship for many years until its exclusion after the 2002 event due to
financial difficulties. Some of the best rally drivers in the world have taken
part in and won the rally, such as Bjorn Waldegaard, Hannu Mikkola, Tommi Makinen,
Shekhar Mehta and Colin McRae. Though the rally still runs annually as part of
the Africa rally championship, the organisers are hoping to be allowed to
rejoin the World Rally championship in the next couple of years.
Although the government has
not been very supportive of the film industry in Kenya, the country offers some
of the most spectacular sceneries and can only be compared to South Africa in
regard to producing some of the most talented actors and actresses on the
African continent. Due to the nonchalant attitude and lack of enthusiasm
exhibited by the government, the industry has remained considerably dormant
whereby notable movies shot in the country have been few and far between. The
most recent movie is the award winning The Constant Gardener Directed by
Fernando Meirelles and Starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz. Other films
shot in Kenya in the recent past include the Academy Award winning Nowhere
in Africa, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life and To Walk
With Lions. Sheena, Queen of the Jungle won great acclaim in the
1980s and was one of the first foreign movies to be shot entirely on location
in Kenya. Other highly acclaimed films set (and shot) in Kenya include Karen
Blixen's Out of Africa, starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep and directed
by Sidney Pollack, and Born Free, an adaptation of the autobiography of Joy
Adamson. Notable film actors from Kenya include Paul Onsongo, John Sibi Okumu
and Njeri Osak.
The Kenya Film Commission
(KFC) was established by the Kenyan government in 2005, but only became fully
operational in mid-2006. The Commission was formed with the aim of promoting
the Kenyan film industry both locally and internationally. It offers detailed
information on Kenyan filming locations as well as liaison services on behalf
of the government. The Commission also advises on recce’s, film licensing and
immigration requirements as well as facilitate the filming process for film
makers.
Die Weisse Massai (The white Maasai), a German movie
about a Swiss Woman who fell in love with a Maasai won an Award of the best
Foreign language Movie (2006).
The Rise and Fall of Idi
Amin, based on the
Ugandan dictator, was shot in Kenya and is considered one of the most
successful movies produced and directed by a Kenyan (Sharad Patel). Indigenous
Kenyan film makers include Ingolo Wa Keya, Albert Wandago and Judy Kibinge.
Nowhere in Africa (2001), an award-winning{cn}}
German production, tells a story about German Jewish refugees living in Kenya
during Second World War. Most of the movie is set in Kenya and numerous scenes
show actors, either natives or main German actors, speaking Suahili.
Acting for television has
proved popular with the Kenyan audience. This genre of drama has been around
from the 1960s when actors like Mzee Pembe and Mama Njeri graced the Kenyan
television screen. Others, like Benson Wanjau (Ojwang' Hatari) and Mary Khavere
(Mama Kayai), followed later with their rib-cracking comedies presented
exclusively in Kiswahili, reaching millions of households courtesy of Kenya
Broadcasting Corporation television station. Serious television drama was
witnessed for the first time in the early 1990s with the entry of actors like Packson
Ngugi and BMJ Muriithi. A new genre in the form of stand-up comedy followed
when actor Joni Nderitu entered the scene. The new style was later to be
perfected by the group, 'Redykyulass', comprised of a trio of young Kenyans -
Walter Mong'are, Tony Njuguna and John Kiare(KJ) - who specialised in political
satire. They poked fun not only at the establishment but also at the then
Kenyan President, Daniel Arap Moi [4]. This was hitherto unheard of and could
have led to their prosecution, or even detention without trial, had it been
done in the 1980s, when mimicking the head of state or exhibiting any form of
political dissent was considered treasonable.
Kenya holds one of the
biggest annual drama events, the Kenya schools and colleges drama festival, in
the south of Sahara. The Kenya National Theatre is based in Nairobi opposite
the Norfolk Hotel.
Ngugi wa Thiong'o, is one
of the best known writers of Kenya. His book, "Weep not, Child" is an
illustration of life in Kenya during the British occupation. This is a story
about the effects of the Mau Mau on the lives of Kenyan civilians. Themes like
Colonialism, education, and love, are all portrayed in the book, and combined
to make it one of the best-known novels in Africa.
M.G. Vassanji's 2003 novel
"The In-Between World of Vikram Lall" won the Giller Prize in 2003. It
is the fictional memoir of a Kenyan of Indian heritage and his family as they
adjust to the changing political climates in colonial and post-colonial Kenya.
The web based song "Kenya"
was a popular internet hit between 2003 and 2004 [5].