The Transformation of Festival Theatre in Kenya: Kiswahili and Indigenous Language Genres as Instruments of Cultural Preservation and Creative Expression

Abstract

 

The Kenya National Drama and Film Festival (KNDF) and the Kenya Music Festival (KMF) are among the most influential cultural and educational performance platforms in Kenya. This study examines the contribution of Kiswahili and indigenous Kenyan language genres to the growth and transformation of these festivals. Guided by Performance Theory and Ethnolinguistic Vitality Theory, the study adopted a qualitative research design and employed purposive sampling to select relevant documents, festival records, scholarly publications, and oral testimonies for analysis. Findings reveal that the introduction of Kiswahili and indigenous language genres facilitated the Africanisation of festival theatre by challenging the earlier dominance of English and colonial performance traditions. The genres contributed significantly to the preservation of oral literature, traditional music, dance, storytelling, and indigenous knowledge systems. They also enhanced artistic innovation through multilingual performances, the fusion of traditional and modern aesthetics, and the creative adaptation of oral traditions. Furthermore, the festivals have promoted national cohesion by encouraging cultural exchange, intercultural understanding, and appreciation of Kenya's linguistic diversity.