NAKURU, Kenya — DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa has strongly criticized what he describes as a calculated effort by the government to block Butere Girls High School from performing at the ongoing Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama and Film Festival.
Speaking from Nakuru on Thursday morning, Wamalwa alleged that the students were deliberately targeted to prevent their play, Echoes of War, from reaching the national stage.
According to Wamalwa, the girls initially managed to take the stage, but mounting frustrations ultimately led them to boycott the performance.
They left the venue in protest, adding to the mounting tensions surrounding their controversial play.
“The police have now started teargassing the crowds that have gathered, insisting that without Butere Girls, there will be no drama,” Wamalwa said.
Wamalwa also addressed the ongoing detention of Cleophas Malala, the former Kakamega Senator who scripted the play.
On Wednesday night, Wamalwa and lawyer Ken Echesa visited Nakuru Central Police Station to check on Malala’s status.
By Thursday morning, Malala had been transferred to Eldama Ravine.
Wamalwa and Echesa were en route there in a bid to secure his release, noting that Malala had yet to be formally charged.
Wamalwa claimed that police were accusing Malala of scripting a play that paints the government in a negative light—an accusation Wamalwa dismissed as baseless.
“As a lawyer, I’m not aware of any such offence under Kenyan law,” he stated. “This is a government that is afraid of its own citizens, afraid of its own shadow and children. How do you prevent students from expressing themselves through talent, song, and dance?”
The DAP-K leader suggested that the suppression was not about the play’s content, but about fear of its potential success.
“We’re being told the play is too good—that it might win. And if it wins, it would have to be performed at State House during the gala. That’s what they’re trying to avoid. It’s not about content; it’s about fear of being exposed.”
Echoes of War is a thought-provoking drama that tackles themes of governance, social justice, and the power of digital spaces in shaping youth-led change.
Set in a nation recovering from civil war, the play portrays young citizens at the forefront of rebuilding efforts, resonating strongly with Gen Z audiences.
Its exploration of contemporary issues has made it a focal point of controversy at this year’s festival.
