The allure of Zilizopendwa songs, particularly rhumba music, has swept across schools and colleges nationwide. Young boys and girls have been showcasing their singing and instrumental skills.
The annual school and college music festivals have been the stage on which these talented young people have shone year after year.
Most music teachers in schools and colleges draw inspiration from the music they listened to as children, either on the Voice of Kenya radio station or at school. Some even had the opportunity to listen to Congolese bands based in Kenya from the 1980s through to the 1990s.
Groups such as Les Mangelepa, Super Mazembe, and Les Kinois had huge followings. However, the greatest influence came from listening to music by Congolese maestros such as Franco and his TPOK Jazz, Tabu Ley's Afrisa International, and mercurial groups such as Orchestre Veve and Wenge Musica. For others, it has been the motivation to train their students to adapt to the trend and cope with the stiff competition at music festivals.
According to William Akunda, a renowned music teacher and YouTuber, it was his passion for Congolese rhumba that inspired him to specialise in music and the performing arts.
William Akunda, music teacher and YouTuber.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
"What started as an experiment with Zilizopendwa music at festivals later turned into something that captured the imagination of many schools and colleges," he says. William Akunda, a music tutor at Senende High School in Vihiga County, traces his inspiration for choral music back to his time at Mbale Boys High School in the same county. While at Mbale High School, he often performed renditions of hits by Congolese music greats such as the legendary Franco Luambo Makiadi, Tabu Ley and Koffi Olomide. They also performed local oldies at music festivals.
For more than a decade, William has been uploading video clips of school choir performances at festivals to YouTube.
One of his most popular videos was of a performance by Malava Boys School in Kakamega County in 2016. During the Kenya National Music Festival at Moi Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi, the boys performed a rendition of Koffi Olomide’s hit song Ultimatum. They were coached by music teacher Gloria Sungu, who returned with the same zeal to excel with a rendition of Jacob Luseno’s Khutsie Ingo ('Let's go home').
According to William, one of the key factors in the success was getting the students to familiarise themselves with lyrics that were not available online.
“It's a way of getting them to interpret the melodies, get to know the beats of the songs, and later perfect the dance moves.”
In 2024, Senende High School excelled with a performance of Sans Papier, a medley by another Congolese superstar, Madilu System. This took place during a State Concert attended by President William Ruto.
The performance featured TPOK Jazz songs such as Matata ya Muasi na Mobali Esilaka te ('Conflicts between a man and a woman never end'), Azda and Mamou. The song Azda was a commercial jingle for a new model of German car, the Volkswagen (VW), which had been introduced in DR Congo.
Another top choral performer is Chavakali High School, also from Vihiga County. Under the tutelage of the renowned music teacher Humphery Kisia, it has excelled in music festivals. He has also trained students at various schools and colleges across the country.
The Chavakali Boys have performed tracks such as Kimpa Kisangameni and Ndaya by TPOK Jazz (composed by Mpudi Decca) at national festivals, achieving great success. Kisia has also played an instrumental role in popular renditions of both Lingala and Kenyan oldies.
Migosi Primary School soloist Tracy Viola Achieng' talks to journalists after performing a rendition of ‘Nakei Nairobi’ at their school in Kisumu last Sunday.
Photo credit: Ondari Ogega | Nation Media Group
The Egerton University Choir was one of the groups that performed renditions of Ndaya, which should not be confused with the other popular Ndaya sung by the legendary Congolese diva M'pongo Love.
Other schools that performed exciting renditions included Sinyolo Girls in Kisumu County. They performed the hit Hera Mwandu by the late Kenyan Luo rhumba maestro Musa Juma and Limpopo International, as well as the all-time great Abba ballad Chiquitita.
Others are St Joseph Senior School in Kitale, which performed Bourreau des Cœurs, another Franco and TPOK Jazz classic; Sigalame Boys School in Busia County, which performed Thisi World by Luhya legend Sukuma Bin Ongaro; and Migosi Primary School in Kisumu County, which performed Nakei Nairobi by Mbilia Bel.
Another recent notable performance was Samba by St Alphonsa Kisau Girls' High School in Makueni County. The original Samba was released by the Congolese band Orchestre Super Mazembe in 1977. It was a follow-up to the evergreen Kasongo song by the same band. It was composed by Alley Katele.
Debra Waithira, Joy Wayua, Purity Mutuku and Abigael Mumo perform on the sidelines of a music festival at Mukimwani Secondary School in Makueni County. They are part of Kisau Girls High School band which has taken the internet by storm.
Photo credit: Pius Maundu | Nation Media Group
The recent Samba rendition has captured the attention of many on social media, particularly the fact that the schoolgirls played the guitars and drums without the use of techno beats during the recording.
According to Elnathan Masau, a music teacher at Kisau Girls, time was taken to teach the girls how to sing, play the guitar, and perform choreography.
“Like most other schools, we were encouraged to perform the oldies due to their popularity at festivals,” he said.
At Kisau Girls, Masau teams up with Moses Thoya to train the girls in music. The school previously performed a rendition of the popular Swahili song Stella by Matee Festo. As with Samba, they sang and played guitars, making them stand out as one of the best in the region.
This weekend, Kisau Girls are set to take part in the Eastern Regional Music Festival, which began yesterday at St Luke's ACK in Wote Township, Makueni County.
Annastacia Mutheu plays a drum set as Peace Mutua plays a ring during a prize giving day at Kisau Girls High School in Makueni County on June 6, 2026. They are part of the school band which has taken the internet by storm.
Photo credit: Pius Maundu | Nation Media Group
Notably, Mpongo Love's Ndaya has been one of the most popular renditions by school choirs and live bands. Composed by Congolese songwriter and guitarist Freddy Mayaula Mayoni, the song topped the list of those most frequently performed by Kenyans on social media.
Mayoni, who once lived in Dar es Salaam, was a top-level part-time footballer. He wrote the famous Cherie Bondowe song for the TPOK Jazz band in the 1980s.
The Ndaya song is a social commentary in which a woman criticises polygamy and urges men to be faithful to one partner in marriage. The original song also featured the distinctive saxophone of Empopo Loway, who played with TPOK Jazz from 1975 to 1977.
During a visit to Kenya in August 2019, Mpongo Love’s daughter Sandra was impressed by the song's popularity, and this made her look forward to collaborating with some of the students and others who had covered the song in the future.
Schools that have performed renditions of 'Ndaya' include Sinyolo Girls, State House Girls School, Mugori Girls, Murang'a County, Chogoria Girls, and Moi Barracks School.
