A wave of protest swept through the national drama festivals Thursday morning, as students from various schools chose not to perform, standing in solidarity with Butere Girls High School. The controversy began when Butere Girls decided not to present their controversial play, ‘Echoes of War,’ due to disputes over its theme and claims of unfair treatment.
At around 8 a.m., the Butere students took to the stage. But instead of performing their scheduled play, they sang the national anthem and left, expressing their frustration over a concerted effort to downgrade their performance.
They spoke of being denied essential equipment like microphones and props, which are typically provided at the festival. The situation intensified when it was revealed they also lacked a public address system, which perhaps the organizers justified by denying the girls the most basic of them all, an audience.
Videos captured the emotional scene as the girls exited the stage, demanding the presence of their director, Cleophas Malala, who is a former UDA Secretary General. Efforts by organizers to calm the group were unsuccessful, leading to a protest outside Melvin Johns Hall.
“We want to perform, and we want our director. It is our right to perform,” the students insisted. One team member shared, “We were being harassed by police. They took us to the stage with nothing. We had no director and no equipment.”
The protest gained momentum as students from other schools joined in, prompting police intervention. Amid chants against President Ruto, law enforcement resorted to using tear gas at Melvin Jones Academy, causing students to retreat to their buses.
The controversy surrounding the play heightened when Malala was arrested on Wednesday evening, April 10, due to his involvement with the script. Malala, who has ongoing tensions with the UDA party, acknowledged writing the play and is currently held at Eldama Ravine Police Station.
The controversial play reportedly addresses last year’s Gen Z protests, which is still an uncomfortable topic around certain circles.
The post Echoes of War: Schools Rally Behind Butere Girls by Refusing To Perform at the National Drama Festivals appeared first on Nairobi Wire.