By Robert Omolo
Nyanza’s representative, Ogande Girls from Homa Bay, have set their sights on winning this year’s culture and creative dance category in the National Drama and Film Festivals.
This follows their victory as champions in the Nyanza Regional Drama Festivals, where they won a trophy at Orero Boys High School in Homa Bay County.
The school will now represent the region in the national festival, which will be held in Nakuru County from 6th to 13th April 2025.
The school’s principal, Jane Odhiambo, said they are now putting in more effort to secure the national trophy at the festivals.
She stated that their regional-level win has given them motivation, and they will continue training hard in co-curricular activities ahead of the competition.
“The Ogande Girls team is focused on becoming the national champion in cultural dance this year. We’re working hard towards achieving this goal,” she said.
Speaking during the presentation of the trophy at the school compound in Homa Bay Town Constituency, Odhiambo said the win has boosted the morale of many teachers in their preparation to implement Kenya’s new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The school head dedicated their victory to the support of teachers, parents, and non-teaching staff.
Ogande Girls also represented the county in hockey at the regional secondary schools’ sports games held at St Joseph’s Rapogi in Migori County.
Odhiambo said they are encouraging their learners to discover and nurture their talents, adding that such festivals provide a platform for students to showcase their abilities.
She called for more support to enable the girls’ team to enhance their training ahead of the competition.
Apart from engaging in co-curricular activities, more than 700 candidates attained a mean grade of C+ (plus) and above in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, qualifying for direct entry into university.
“It was a collective effort that enabled Ogande Girls to emerge as the winners at the regional level. Our girls have also shown a lot of commitment because they want to explore their talents,” she said.
The Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA) in Homa Bay and Orero Boys High School Chief Principal, Dickens Bula, commended Ogande Girls for their excellent performance, as well as all the schools from the Nyanza region that participated in the festivals.
He called for support for the winning teams.
“We are appealing to well-wishers to come forward and support the winning teams from the region to enable them to perform effectively in the festivals,” Bula said.
