By Meshack M. Ngangi | March 18, 2025
The Cultural Festival 2025 presented a significant aspect of The Co-operative University of Kenya’s community since cultural diversity is a strength when celebrated as a fabric that holds any human society together. The week-long celebrations of different cultures within the CUK fraternity provided a platform for students and staff to celebrate their cultural heritage, showcase talents and creativity, and promote cultural diversity within a multicultural environment. The CUK Cultural Festival 2025 was celebrated under a unifying theme, “Our Culture, Our Diversity, Our Pride.” The festival assumed various genres, including music festivals, traditional dances, cultural wear exhibitions, sports and athletics, theatrical performances, and beauty pageantry as a means to promote cultural exchange and understanding.
In the opening ceremony, Mr. Chris M. Kathoka, the Registrar of Finance, Planning, and Administration represented the Vice Chancellor in delivering the inaugural address. The day one event’s venue was filled to the brim with students, staff, and the Chief Guest from the Directorate of National Cohesion and Values. This informed the high regard the University upholds cultural diversity and celebrates its beauty of unifying the institution as a strength that complements our oneness in the spirit of cooperation.
“The University as a teacher of life, establishes the foundation and sustains academic excellence in developing society-suited holistic intellectuals. Cultural diversity is our inevitable human condition; however, this year’s Cultural Festival allows us to unite our voices to speak even louder to promote unique African diversity with pride,” the Ag. Vice Chancellor remarked.
Mr. Edward Nyongesa Wafula, the Guest Speaker and the Deputy Director of the Directorate of National Cohesion and Values underscored that cultural events like the CUK Cultural Week 2025 are an excellent opportunity for the people of Kenya to come together and celebrate the beauty of our shared heritage – they are avenues that help to promote cultural understanding and foster a sense of community.
The Cultural Festival opened with creative traditional dances and cultural wear exhibitions from the Maasai, Kamba, Kikuyu, Kalenjin, and Luhya communities which showcased the beauty of diverse cultural heritage. The cut-throat competition was a means to celebrate and uphold the beauty of our Institution’s cultural heritage, preserve cultural diversity, and appreciate cultural identities. The Luhya community carried the day with the best cultural dance presentation. Throughout the Monday to Friday Cultural Festival, different dressing themes were observed including, cultural regalia, official attire, denim wear, sportswear, and dinner wear, and the best-dressed individual of each day was awarded.
Thursday, 13th March 2025, was a special day that presented sporting activities that were geared towards building, cementing, and sustaining a cordial relationship between the staff and students as both parties embarked on competitions of different sporting activities such as Football, Netball, Tug-of-war, egg race, sack race, 100 m and 200 m race, and rugby. In the Football men category, the Student’s Football team thwarted the Staff Team 2-1 with the Ladies’ Student’s Football team beating the Staff Team 1-0. Only ladies who participated in the Netball competitions with the Staff Netball team claimed the victory. Maureen Soyandet from the Admissions and Students Registry and Rodgers Oguta, a 4th-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce in the School of Business and Economics, won the egg race in the ladies’ and men’s categories respectively. In sack race competitions, Maureen Simiyu, a staff in the Catering Department, and Omwambo Ogutu, a 3rd-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Finance in the School of Business and Economics, won in the ladies’ and men’s categories respectively. In both the ladies’ and men’s categories, CUK Staff claimed victory for the tug-of-war, and student Rugby Team A won against their counterpart Team B. In the 100m race, John Brian (student), and Banice Wanjiku, a 3rd-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce in the School of Business and Economics, won in the ladies’ and men’s categories respectively while Brian Mutuse, a 1st-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Business Management in the School of Business and Economics, and Lucy Katheu, a 2nd-year student pursuing a Diploma in Supply Chain Management in the Institute of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, in the 200m ladies’ and men’s categories.
The final day of the CUK Cultural Festival 2025 went down at the Carnivore Grounds, Nairobi. Students and staff led by the Cultural Week Organizing Committee officials descended the venue donned in dinner wear as pomp, glamour, and class met the occasion. The major event was the beauty pageantry modeling contest and crowning of Mr. and Miss CUK 2025/2026. The Friday night Carnivore affair featured entertainment by a student artist, Iano Simi, and the Guest Artist, Tipsy Gee also known as Kelvin Njenga.
The crown for Mr. and Miss CUK 2025/2025 was heavily contested with models exhibiting cutting-edge creativity and innovation in the beauty pageantry. Raymond Mutua and Brenda Cheronoh won the Mr. and Miss CUK 2025/2026 titles respectively. On the other hand, Chris Muga and Mutemi Damaris were the first (1st) runners-up for Mr. and Miss CUK, Eugine Kibet Rutto and Polly Owino were the second (2nd) runners-up for Mr. and Miss CUK while Ezra Hakeem and Clarice Akinyi carried the Mr. and Miss Congeniality 2025/2026 titles respectively.
