Ruto hits out at Malala, vows to protect school children

President William Ruto yesterday hit out at politicians seeking to interfere  education matters in the wake of the controversy sparked by the banning of a play by Butere Girls High Schoo, Echoes of War.

President Ruto said he will stand firm and ensure that children are not exploited by individuals who wish to destroy the country.

He called on teachers and parents to protect school children from predators who seek to corrupt them with toxic ethnicity and divisive politics.

Ruto made the remarks at State House Nakuru, where he hosted the winners of the 63rd Kenya National Drama and Film Festival 2025 for a State Concert. He was accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto and Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, among other government and education officials.

Butere Girls students caused drama at the Kenya National Schools and Music Festival in Nakuru, when they were stopped from performing the play, scripted by former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, on grounds that it was inciteful.

Though fictional, the play, which tackles governance issues, is crafted around last year’s Gen Z protests and seeks to depict the generational gap between tech-savvy youth and the older generation as well as the State.

It has been controversially disqualified during the Western regional contest but a former Butere Girls student, who took part in Shackles of Doom, another play by Malala that was staged in 2013 after the High Court intervened, secured court orders to have it presented at the national stage.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen later accused Malala of seeking to politicised education matters.

President Ruto took a similar stance at the State House event, saying Kenya has more to celebrate than the negativity that some people wish to promote.

“I will not allow this nation to go down the drain with the people who are pursuing selfish and narrow interests,” he said.

President Ruto was categorical that school children must be protected from paedophiles and drug peddlers.

The President said the government is streamlining the Competency-Based Curriculum to deliver quality education that nurtures every child’s potential.

He said the goal is to support all children to pursue their interests be they academic, sporting, artistic, or musical.

He noted that these are no longer co-curricular activities, but viable career paths.

“Our education system should support all our children to pursue all the interests they have within the curriculum that we have,” he said.

On creative arts, the President noted that there is no more a powerful incubator for than the schools and colleges drama and film festival.

“That is why the government has elevated this festival to the status of a State function. We do not merely support the arts symbolically, we back them strategically,” he said.

He said the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival will always remain a centrepiece of artistic excellence, a stage where creativity is born and bred, and a mirror that reflects the soul of the society.

“This is how we preserve heritage, empower creators, and reach the world. However, more needs to be done to ensure that artistes earn from their digitised content,” he said.

He pointed out that the government is committed to ensuring that artistes earn from their work, adding that the government has strengthened policy and institutional support for the creative industry.

“The Kenya Film Commission will continue to play a vital role in promoting local talent, offering training, and facilitating international collaboration,” he said.

The President went on: “We have restored the Kenya National Theatre and expanded investment in film hubs, theatres, and cultural centres.”

He said plans are underway to establish a Kenya National Film Studio to raise the quality and scale of local productions.

Consequently, the Kenya Film School is offering courses in acting, production and filmmaking, and equipping young people with real industry skills.

 Through the Kenya Theatre Awards, the President announced, more than KSh8 million was awarded to outstanding creatives.

“This is demonstrable proof that the arts are not only about passion but also about profit,” he said.