Shadrack Ng’ang’a, popularly known as Shaddyverz, will have his original composition produced as the official theme song for the S-Hook musical after emerging the overall winner of Safaricom’s Game Iko On songwriting competition.
Shaddyverz was crowned winner during the S-Hook Musical Songwriters’ Finale held on Sunday, November 8, 2026, at the Michael Joseph Centre, Safaricom Headquarters in Nairobi.
As part of his win, he received KES 30,000, a Safaricom 5G router and a Neon Smarter Phone. His winning composition will also be developed into a single and accompanied by a music video, offering him an opportunity to reach a wider audience.
“Winning this competition means so much to me. Writing this song will be an opportunity to express myself through music and share a story that I hope people can connect with,” Shaddyverz said.
He added that having his composition selected as the musical’s official theme song was an incredible opportunity, expressing gratitude to everyone who had supported him throughout the journey.
The competition attracted more than 500 aspiring songwriters, with 16 finalists selected to contribute their creativity and musical styles to the S-Hook production.
The selected songwriters represented different genres, including rap, ballads and acoustic music. Each of the 16 finalists also received a Neon Smarter Phone in recognition of their participation and talent.
The competition further narrowed the field to 11 songwriters: Shaddyverz, Ntinyari, Samuel, Elly Shua, Shazzy B, Saisa Ndabi, Malosh, Mell Baron, FTG, Emmanuel and Kori.
Speaking during the finale, Safaricom Chief Consumer Business Officer Fawziah Ali Kimanthi said the initiative was designed to give young creatives an opportunity to showcase their abilities and develop their skills.
“Kenya has so much creative talent, and it is important that we create opportunities for young people to share what they can do. Through Game Iko On and S-Hook, we wanted to give aspiring songwriters a platform to showcase their work, grow their skills and have their music heard,” she said.
Kimanthi noted that the creativity and passion demonstrated by the participants were encouraging, expressing hope that the experience would open more doors for them in the music industry.
The finale was streamed live and exclusively on Baze, Safaricom’s digital entertainment platform, allowing audiences beyond the venue to follow the performances and winner announcement.
Through the S-Hook initiative, Safaricom is seeking to create opportunities for emerging Kenyan creatives by providing platforms to develop their talents and connect their work with wider audiences.
The initiative forms part of the telecommunications company’s broader commitment to empowering young people through technology and supporting the growth of Kenya’s creative economy.
