Butere Girls students have declined to perform the Echoes of War play at the National Drama Festivals at the Melvin Jones Academy in Nakuru on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
The students took the stage at around 8 am, sang their National Anthem, and left in tears instead of performing the play.
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According to reports, the students were denied a public address system that has been in use in the National Drama Festivals.
Speaking to the media, the students demanded the presence of their director, Cleophas Malala.
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“We want our director; bring us our director. We won’t perform without him. It is our right to perform,” they said.
The students said they were harassed by police officers who forced them to take to stage without the necessary costumes and the public address system.
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“We were harassed by the police and went to the stage with nothing. We sang the national anthem and declined to perform.”
The police had blocked journalists, students, and members of the public from entering Melvin Jones Hall where the Girls were set to perform.
Eugene Wamalwa Defends Butere Girls
DAP-K Party leader Eugene Wamalwa criticized the government for frustrating Butere girls’ students.
Wamalwa said there was a deliberate effort to block the students from performing the play.
He said the students got on stage but were frustrated and ended up not performing the play.
“What has happened is that they have been stood down. This play has had a lot of challenges, and there was a deliberate effort from the government to stop the girls from staging this play,” Wamalwa said.
He said the police had started using teargas with the public insisting that the event would not hold without Butere girls.
‘So, as we speak, they are leaving the venue. Our efforts to access them with a lawyer were frustrated. The police have now started tear gassing the crowd that had gathered, that is, insisting that without Butere there would be no drama,” he said.
He said the police had come into the venue and disrupted the whole event.
Also Read: Journalists Attacked Live on TV as Police Fire Teargas
Govt Frustrating “Echoes of War” Performance
Earlier, Malala revealed that he was arrested and being held incommunicado while the students were being forced to perform without a proper stage set and costumes.
He criticized the government for suppressing the creativity and art displayed by the students.
“As I continue being held incommunicado at the Eldama Ravine Police Station, the drama team doing my play, echoes of war, is being forced to stage without costumes, soundtracks, or even a proper stage set,” he said.
Also Read: Cleophas Malala Arrested
“This is not just an attack on a play but a blow to the soul of the creative spirit. What a devastating day for the art!”
Malala said heavily armed anti-riot police were stationed at all entries and exits of the Hall where the play was scheduled to be performed.
He said there was a censored audience of select government operatives to attend the performance.
“The drama students are being coerced, intimidated and threatened to perform even without costumes, decor, soundtracks or any technical support that a piece of art requires to stage,” he said.
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