They are students from various war-torn African countries, schooling in Kenya, and they share one painful experience: they have never known peace and stability in their home countries.
Many of those who fled ended up in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Turkana County, Kenya.
Kakuma’s Bantu Somali Secondary School is one of the institutions that has welcomed these students, despite the initial language barriers. French is the first language for many, having come from Francophone countries.
The students come from Somalia, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Motivated by this newfound peace, they began using music to spread the message — performing in school and dreaming of one day taking their message back home.
Last week, their school participated in the Rift Valley Regional Music Festival in Nakuru, where they performed a choral verse in French — a powerful appeal for peace.
“We are happy and proud to have preached peace here. We’ve seen the importance of harmony, and we hope our home countries can one day adopt it,” said Aniella Byayesu from Burundi.
Their performance was well-received by both the audience and adjudicators, but despite the warm reception, their choral verse finished fifth in its category — missing out on qualification for the National Music Festivals, which admits only the top two entries.
The national competitions will be held in Meru from August 6.
Nonetheless, the smiles on their faces as they performed said it all. Their journey of over 500 kilometers to share their message of peace is a testament to their gratitude and hope.
Christopher Otieno, the group’s teacher-in-charge, said the choral verse emphasized the importance of Africans believing in themselves and their continent.
“These students have come from countries affected by civil strife. There is a pressing need for patriotism across the African continent and for the revival of African cultural values,” he said.
On the same stage, St Clare Girls High School from Elburgon, Nakuru County, presented a Kiswahili set-piece titled Tembea Kenya (Visit Kenya), which echoed similar themes.
Their song, which won in the Class 427 category and qualified for the national festivals, encouraged foreigners to visit Kenya and experience its spirit of unity.
Composed by Victor Oduor, the song pays tribute to Kenya’s freedom fighters and highlights the country’s natural treasures — Lake Victoria, Kakamega Forest, and Mount Kenya — as key tourist attractions.
It calls on Kenyans to embrace patriotism and underscores peace and unity as pillars of national identity.
“We want both local and international tourists to visit our country’s beautiful sites and contribute to foreign exchange earnings that boost our economy,” said Clinton Mukhutsi, St Clare’s music patron.
Mukhutsi added that the song carries strong socio-economic messages aimed at inspiring Kenyans to work hard and uplift their standards of living.