State under fire for suppressing Butere Girls’ ‘Echoes of War’ play
LSK President Faith Odhiambo says saying no legitimacy that can be claimed by an administration that attacks its children.
Political leaders, lawyers and ordinary Kenyans have roundly condemned the teargassing of Butere Girls High School students after they refused to perform at the Kenya National Drama and Music Festival following police harassment and arrest of the scriptwriter Cleophas Malala.
The students had been allowed to perform their play, Echoes of War, behind closed doors with members of the public, the media and fellow students barred from accessing they venue.
Shedding tears, the students, however, sang the national anthem before walking out of the venue leading to a confrontation with the police outside Melvin Jones Lions Academy in Nakuru, when members of the public and those from other schools and colleges joined them in solidarity.
Echoes of War play has been a centre of attention in recent days after it was controversially disqualified at the regional contest in Western before the High Court intervened and ordered that it be performed at the national level.
Its theme is on Kenya’s governance, and the Gen Z led protests witnessed in 2024 and is seen in official circles as an indictment of President William Ruto’s administration, despite the script setting it in the Royal Velvet Emirates, a fictitious kingdom in the Middle East. Its scriptwriter, former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala was arrested on Wednesday night.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, who in 2013 went to court to have another play by Butere Girls, Shackles of Doom, also by Malala, performed at the national stage drew parallels in the current situation.
“In 2013, when the government sought to silence Shackles of Doom, a bold play by Cleophas Malala performed by Butere Girls, I took a stand. I filed Petition No. 192 of 2013, and the High Court, in a decisive ruling by Justice David Majanja, affirmed that students have the right to speak, to challenges, and to create. The ban was struck down. Now, over a decade later, Echoes of War by the same Butere girls, faces similar resistance at the national level. This is not just about one play, it’s about defending the very right to free expression in our education system,” he wrote on X.
“The executive must understand that our Constitution guarantees freedom of thought and expression and is not guaranteed by permission. This isn’t a matter of opinion, it’s the law. The classroom is not a cage. Our stages must remain free. The 2013 ruling stands as a reminder that no government can silence the voices of the youth and its citizens. We will not stand by while those in power attempt to stifle creativity, expression and the right to challenge the status quo. Let them speak, create and inspire without fear of retribution! Haki yao, sauti yao! #SeraSiSura.”
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka termed the incident as a national shame.
“How does this regime justify lobbing teargas at young girls from Butere Girls who declined to stage their play “Echoes of War” at the National Drama Festival? Their bravery serves as a national wake-up call. When voices of truth are silenced and art is censored, democracy suffers. I stand with Butere Girls and all students who joined the walkout in solidarity,” he wrote on X.
Kalonzo said Kenya must remain a country where even the echoes of war are heard and heeded, adding the silence from State House, and the ministries of Education and Interior as telling.
According to Kalonzo, arresting Malala, whose only crime was to exercise his rights guaranteed under Article 33 of our Constitution, only confirms the fear leaders have of truth, noting that art is not a crime.
“The chants of “No Butere, No Drama… #RutoMustGo!” are the voices of a generation fed up with repression, abductions and killings. Kenya, are we listening?”
Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo also condemned the attack on the students, saying there is no legitimacy that can be claimed by an administration that attacks its children.
“The most vulnerable for whose benefit every decision must be made, and every necessary action taken, have been turned to victims of state overreach and police impunity. The people of Kenya can endure a lot, tolerate as much, and even condone some, but we can never be onlookers as our children are maimed for participating in extra-curricular activities that have historically produced and nurtured our best talents. The leadership of the @NPSOfficial_KE must be held accountable for this insanity,” she tweeted.
Siaya Governor James Orengo tweeted: “US Supreme Court: “Neither students nor teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” Hongera Butere Girls High School.”
Most critics of the government action noted that students have been exposed to more radical literature by way of set books, yet they have never been censured.
They cited books by Prof Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Prof Micere Mugo, and Wahome Mutahi, such as Petals of Blood, Three Days on the Cross
“In those Butere Girls lives on the spirit of the greats before them. The likes of – Ngugi wa Thiong’o – Wahome Mutahi – Micere Mugo and others who were detained/harassed and/or exiled by Moi for artistic expression,” @themagunga tweeted.
Former LSK President Nelson Havi tweeted: ” This administration has crossed the redline. It has interfered with education at all levels: primary school; secondary school and University. The ban of a play by Butere Girls and the aftermath should inform President William Ruto that the People’s tolerance has reached its limit.”
