More than 1,000 young people turned up in Malava on Saturday for a talent showcase that brought together singers, dancers, comedians, DJs, poets and other emerging performers.
The event, organised under the Malulu Foundation, provided a platform for young people to display their abilities as organisers sought to identify and nurture talent beyond traditional sporting disciplines such as football and athletics.
The showcase, held on August 22, 2026, at Malava primary field featured competitions in several categories, including music, comedy, poetry, spoken word, dance, news reading, commentary, narrative, acapella, rap and deejaying. Stephen Mwangi won the Best Malava DJ category, while Kibe & Friends emerged winners in Group Singing. Phidel Mulupi won the Narrative category, Sophia Imbundu took the Comedy title, Lewis Mboya won Commentary, while Sasala Production emerged winners in Choral Verse. Other categories that were won by participant included Poetry, Solo Verse, Acapella, News Reading, Solo Singing, Spoken Word, Group Instruments, Dance, Solo Dance and Rap.
The event also featured Mr and Miss Malava contest, which attracted more than 30 contestants. Masinde Emanuel was crowned Mr Malava, while Merlin Nechesa won the Miss Malava title.
Malulu Foundation patron Ryan Malulu Injendi said the initiative aims at giving young people opportunities to develop their talents and access wider markets. He promised the best rappers, singers and singing groups free professional audio and video recording sessions to help promote their careers.

“Many people have focused mainly on football tournaments and athletics as the main avenues for showcasing talent, neglecting other areas of the creative industry. This is just the beginning, and I believe it will grow bigger and better ,” Injendi said.
The foundation was established under the patronage of the late Malava MP Moses Malulu Injendi, with its initial activities focusing mainly on football, athletics and volleyball. Ryan Malulu, the late MP’s son, has sought to broaden the foundation’s programmes to accommodate more young people pursuing different creative talents.
Ryan’s school mate , Hassan, who was present in the occasion pledged to support the competition’s best DJ in seeking recognition through national media outreach He proposed talent exchange competitions between best performers from Malava and Mumias to promote both talent development and cultural interaction.
Kakamega Senator aspirant Larry Enos Chisang’ani congratulated Injendi for continuing his father’s legacy by supporting young people and creating opportunities for emerging talent. Chisang’ani also urged young people to make informed choices in the upcoming General Election and consider supporting youth-led leadership.
Ryan thanked the contestants, parents, fans and supporters for contributing to the success of the event.
“The stage may be closing, but the stars are only just beginning to shine,” he said, promising to expand the foundation’s talent programmes to include more categories and participants.
Among those who attended were representatives of the national and county governments, Larry Chisang’ani Kakamega senator aspirant, Wayne Mukweyu MCA aspirant Chemuche, Namunyu Johnstone MCA aspirant East Kabras, Zacharia Shitsimi MCA aspirant South Kabras, Denis Muchina MCA aspirant Manda and Shivanga.