Butere Girls: ‘Echoes Of War’ Play Stalled Amid Police Harassment
The hopes of Butere Girls High School students to showcase their talent at the National Drama Festivals were dashed on Thursday. This is after they declined to perform their highly anticipated play, Echoes of War.
The students took to the stage at around 8 a.m. But their voices were quickly silenced not by choice, but by circumstance. Denied access to a public address system, which has been standard in the national festival. The students were left to perform without sound or support.
Instead of presenting the play, the girls stood united and sang the National Anthem. This is before breaking down in tears and walking off the stage a powerful act of protest. This highlighted their frustration and disappointment.
In a move seen by many as a deliberate attempt to frustrate their performance, the students were also denied an audience. They said they had not seen their directors in weeks and had gone without rehearsals for the past three weeks.
Echoes of War by Butere Girls
The play, Echoes of War, has attracted national attention for its bold themes surrounding governance in Kenya. Additionally, addressing the Gen Z-led protests of 2024. Originally disqualified at the Western Region Drama Festivals under murky circumstances. A High Court ruling later overturned the decision, reinstating the play and ordering it to be included in the national festival lineup.
Yet controversy flared again on Wednesday when Cleophas Malala, the scriptwriter and former senator, was barred from entering the festival venue at Kirobon Girls High School in Nakuru. By 5 p.m., Malala claimed that police had barricaded his vehicle and were threatening him with arrest.
That night, police reportedly used teargas to disperse journalists who had been waiting outside the school to cover the unfolding standoff.
On Thursday, access to the venue remained tightly controlled. Journalists, students, and members of the public were blocked from entering Melvin Jones Hall, where the performances were taking place. The media blackout extended to inside the hall as well — no cameras, no video recording, no live streaming.
According to personnel covering the event, even the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and other accredited media partners were ordered to pack up their equipment.
“They are saying no audience, no video, no photography and no shooting at all. KICD won’t stream live, and even local productions for partners have been barred from shooting. No cameras are approved,” a source told Citizen Digital.
As the dust settles, the silence surrounding Echoes of War speaks louder than any performance. What was meant to be a celebration of student creativity has instead become a flashpoint in a larger conversation about freedom of expression, youth voices, and the power of theatre to challenge the status quo.
