SPEECH BY THE PERMANENT SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF STATE FOR NATIONAL HERITAGE AND CULTURE, DR. JACOB OLE MIARON (PHD), CBS DURING THE 8TH KISIMA MUSIC AWARDS GALA NIGHT AT THE KENYA CULTURAL CENTRE ON 26TH SEPTEMBER 2009
Mr. Victor Odwori, Chief Executive Officer, Kisima Awards,
Artists,
Invited Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It gives me great pleasure to join you today in this important event of the 8th Kisima Music Awards ceremony. I also wish to congratulate you in marking the 8th year since you started awarding our talented musicians. This means you have succeeded in the past hence the ability to do it this year as well. I pray that you continue doing this in many years to come.
Our Ministry acknowledges the role played by musicians in nation building. We know the music industry has created employment to our youth, who would have otherwise been jobless. I want to echo the UNESCO convention of 2003 which recognized the Kisima Music Awards as one of the pillars out to help the music artists achieve excellence. On this, I commend you for the role you play in helping our musicians prosper.
As recognition of the good work of musicians, the Government recently honored 5 musicians by giving them state honours: They got Head of State Commendation (HSC). Isn’t this one of the best ways to recognize one’s good work!
I want to assure the Kisima Music Awards organization that the Ministry will continue to partner with you in building this important sector. Our support will help you to continue rewarding and acknowledging the talents that are in abundance in East Africa.
The Permanent Presidential Music Commission, a department in the Ministry, will give you all the assistance that you may require to develop music talents in the region. Let me congratulate those musicians who are going to get awards tonight. I know for you to be rewarded, your work must have gone through various stages of scrutiny. These include submission of your work, nomination involving various stakeholders like the media, music practitioners and technical experts who pick out the best artistic work from hundreds of entries. Above all, the public who cast their votes through various media to bring us to this point of awarding the most voted.
I am told after all this vigorous process, one of the most distinguished professional audit firms in this country, Deloitte Company, did the authentification. This then means that those musicians that are being awarded today are indeed the best so far. You indeed deserve the awards.
