President William Ruto found himself in an unusual interview on Friday when a smiling student first complimented his dancing before asking who had taught him the moves.
Walking along the red carpet towards the main hall at Bungoma State Lodge for the 98th Kenya Music Festival State Concert, Ruto stopped to engage the young interviewer, who held a microphone and directed each question to him with a broad smile.
Maintaining eye contact, the student listened attentively to his responses, nodding before posing her next question.
The light exchange took a more personal turn when the student asked Ruto who his dance teacher was.
Ruto responded saying that he may have picked up some moves from his daughter, who he said is almost the student’s age.
“I have a daughter almost your age. So I see her do some stuff at home. And maybe I’ve picked up a few or some,” Ruto said.
The student was quick to assure him that his dancing had indeed improved.
“Are you sure I dance better these days?” Ruto asked.
“One hundred per cent, absolutely,” the student replied.
Behind Ruto, First Lady Rachel Ruto and another male student followed as the group made their way into the main hall for the State Concert.
The brief exchange also opened the door to a wider conversation about the place of young creatives in Kenya’s future.
Asked whether there was space for creatives in government, Ruto said music and other creative disciplines were increasingly being recognised as part of the country’s development rather than activities pursued only for leisure.
“Culture, music, film, drama is the future and it is no longer the things you do out of luxury. It’s part of the growing of an economy of our country,” he said.
Ruto said music had also been formally incorporated into the education process, while noting that his office has a department dedicated to the creative sector.
He said the department was intended to help nurture the talent of millions of people and create opportunities within the creative economy.
“The future, as you say, is very bright,” Ruto told the student.