Brian Ruto Yilat
Founder and festival director (CEO)
About PokotFest
A premium celebration of Pokot culture, music, peace-building and community development.
PokotFest is a celebration of Pokot culture, heritage, creativity, community, and the unique identity of Pokotland.
Organized by Kokel Entertainment, PokotFest is a cultural festival created to bring together Pokot communities, artists, creatives, cultural practitioners, businesses, visitors, partners, and friends of Pokot culture from Kenya and beyond.
Our story is rooted in Pokotland a cultural landscape stretching from Laikipia through Baringo and West Pokot in Kenya, and across into Uganda. This region is home to a rich and diverse heritage shaped by generations of traditions, stories, music, dance, craftsmanship, indigenous knowledge, and strong community values.
PokotFest provides a platform where this heritage can be celebrated, preserved, shared, and experienced. Through music, dance, fashion, traditional cuisine, storytelling, arts and crafts, cultural exhibitions, sports, tourism experiences, and community engagement, we connect generations and introduce the richness of Pokot culture to a wider audience.
Beyond entertainment, PokotFest is committed to creating meaningful impact. We use the power of culture to promote peace and unity, empower young people and local talent, support cultural entrepreneurs, encourage responsible tourism, create economic opportunities, and strengthen pride in our heritage.
Our ambition is to grow PokotFest into a leading cultural festival in Africa and a global platform through which the world can discover Pokotland and the richness of Pokot heritage.
We invite everyone — Pokot and non-Pokot, local and international — to join us in celebrating a culture that is living, evolving, and worth sharing with the world.
Our Promise
To preserve our heritage.
To celebrate our identity.
To connect our communities.
To empower our people.
To share Pokotland with the world.
PokotFest Celebrating Our Heritage. Connecting Our People. Sharing Our Culture with the World.
Come for the festival. Stay for the adventure. Leave with unforgettable memories.
Our Mission
Our Vision
To become Africa’s leading cultural festival and a globally recognized platform for celebrating, preserving, and promoting Pokot heritage, while positioning Pokotland as a premier cultural tourism destination.
PokotFest envisions a connected and thriving Pokot cultural community across Laikipia, Baringo, West Pokot, and into Uganda, where heritage is preserved, creativity is celebrated, local talent is empowered, and communities benefit from cultural tourism and enterprise.
We aspire to build a festival that brings the world to Pokotland creating meaningful connections between culture, tourism, arts, music, fashion, business, and community development, while inspiring future generations to take pride in and carry forward the richness of Pokot heritage.
PokotFest — Celebrating Our Heritage. Connecting Our People. Sharing Our Culture with the World.
Cultural Preservation
Keeping Our Heritage Alive for Generations to Come
PokotFest is committed to preserving and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Pokot people across Pokotland from Laikipia through Baringo and West Pokot in Kenya, and across into Uganda.
We provide a platform for communities, elders, cultural practitioners, artists, youth, and creatives to showcase and pass on the traditions that define the Pokot identity. Through music, dance, storytelling, traditional attire, cuisine, crafts, indigenous knowledge, ceremonies, language, and traditional practices, PokotFest helps keep our heritage alive while introducing it to new generations and the wider world.
Our approach to cultural preservation is rooted in community participation, intergenerational knowledge sharing, documentation, and responsible cultural tourism. We believe that preserving culture is not only about looking back at our history, but also about creating opportunities for young people to carry that heritage forward in contemporary and meaningful ways.
By celebrating our traditions and connecting communities across Pokotland, PokotFest strengthens cultural pride, promotes unity, supports local cultural economies, and ensures that the richness of Pokot heritage continues to inspire generations to come.
Preserve. Celebrate. Pass It On.
Peace-Building & Community
Building Bridges Through Culture, Unity, and Shared Identity
PokotFest believes that culture can be a powerful force for peace, unity, dialogue, and community development. By bringing together people from across Pokotland — from Laikipia through Baringo and West Pokot in Kenya, and into Uganda the festival creates a platform for communities to connect, celebrate their shared heritage, and build stronger relationships.
Through music, sport, storytelling, cultural exchange, youth engagement, and community dialogue, PokotFest promotes understanding and peaceful coexistence among communities. We create spaces where young people, elders, artists, community leaders, women, and other stakeholders can come together, share experiences, and celebrate what unites them.
We are committed to using the power of culture to encourage dialogue, strengthen community bonds, promote peaceful coexistence, and inspire young people to become ambassadors of peace.
Beyond the festival, we aim to support initiatives that contribute to stronger, more resilient communities and a more peaceful future across Pokotland and beyond.
One Culture. One People. One Peaceful Future.
Tourism Promotion
Discover Pokotland Where Culture Meets Adventure
PokotFest is committed to positioning Pokotland as a distinctive cultural tourism destination, showcasing the beauty, heritage, traditions, and experiences found across the Pokot cultural landscape — from Laikipia through Baringo and West Pokot in Kenya, and across into Uganda.
Through the festival, we invite visitors from Kenya and around the world to discover breathtaking landscapes, cultural sites, traditional villages, local cuisine, music, dance, crafts, storytelling, and authentic community experiences.
PokotFest creates opportunities for travelers to go beyond conventional tourism and experience Pokotland through the eyes of its people. By connecting visitors with local communities, artists, cultural practitioners, entrepreneurs, tour operators, artisans, and hospitality businesses, we help create meaningful tourism experiences while supporting local livelihoods.
We believe cultural tourism can become a powerful driver of economic opportunity, community empowerment, heritage preservation, and destination development. Through partnerships and responsible tourism practices, PokotFest seeks to attract more visitors, encourage longer stays, and showcase Pokotland to the world as a destination rich in culture, nature, adventure, and hospitality.
Come for the Festival. Stay for the Culture. Discover Pokotland.
Community Impact
PokotFest is more than a festival — it is a movement for heritage, tourism and development.
3K
Expected Attendees
10+
Artists & Performers
30+
Community Partners
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Day of Celebration
Our Team
Meet the founders and organizing committee behind PokotFest, united by a shared passion for celebrating culture, promoting tourism, and strengthening community.
Founders
Daisy Lochulit Chonyir
Director of Partnerships & Communications
Antony Poriot Siywat
Director of Programmes & Operations