Call for entries: Peace song contest in Kenya

The contest is open to Kenyan citizens below the age of 35 years and seeks to co-create positive conversations and interpretations of peace.

The content of the songs should aim to promote and strengthen the ideals of peace across the nation. Content that is deemed to be sexually suggestive, obscene or derogatory in any way, or contains copyrighted or trademarked materials not owned by the entrant, will be disqualified.

The winner will receive Ksh35 000 in prize money and a collaboration with King Kaka, Femi One and Jadi on a peace anthem titled 'Mbekse'. The first and second runners-up will receive Ksh25 000 and Ksh10 000, respectively.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has caused conflict in households and communities," King Kaka said. "It's a great honour to be the voice of this campaign, which uses hip hop to include young Kenyan voices in peace initiatives. My focus will be to amplify the activism of young people committed to creating a more peaceful world. Young people can be real peacemakers in their communities, counties and the nation at large. Mbekse is a Sheng slang that means 'two'. The two fingers in the sky is a global representation of peace."

How to participate

To participate, entrants should:

• Record a video of themselves rapping on the beat provided here.
• Tag King Kaka and USAID using the hashtag #16BarsForPeace on social media. 

Selection criteria

The jury consists of King Kaka, representatives from the Kaka Empire record label and the US embassy in Kenya. 

Judging will be based on:

• Uniqueness.
• Creativity.
• Lyrics.
• Length (three to five minutes).

The submission deadline is 9 October.