Government Denies Claims to Have Blocked Performance by Butere Girls on Controversial Play ‘Echoes of War’

Government through education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, has dismissed claims that government prevented Butere Girls from performing the ‘Echoes of War’ play at Kirobon Girls High School in Nakuru, where the National Drama Festival is taking place.

According to the CS, the students voluntarily declined to perform despite being offered the opportunity. He has clarified that amid elicited debate over the controversial play scripted by former UDA SG Cleophas Malala, titled the ‘Echoes of War’ whose theme centers on Gen Z’s protest against oppression from the government in July 2024.

“The government did not stop Butere Girls from performing. Are you aware that the students were allowed to perform at 8am? When they came to the stage after the National Anthem, one of them said they are not willing to perform without their director, Mr Malala,” he stated.

In a statement on Thursday, Ogamba blamed the school for allowing Malala to be the director of the play, adding that Malala is not a teacher hence the school’s management violated the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) regulations.

“The ministry wishes to inform principals who invite non-teachers to their schools to train learners in co-curricula activities that they are in contravention of the TSC regulations as well as the rules and regulations for the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival,” he clarified further.

He also emphasized on the government’s commitment to observe rules by TSC, urging politicians to desist politicizing education.

“We cannot allow people to weaponise school children against authority. Let political wars be fought by politicians outside learning environments.” He added.

In explaining the genesis of the play’s controversy, CS Ogamba said that adjudicators at the sub-county level advised the school to omit some of the offensive messages from the script, which the school further adjusted on at the county level, allowing them to proceed to the regional level.

However, the Education CS noted that the script was significantly altered to include more offensive themes, which barred the script from being presented to the National level.

“The school, therefore, felt that the script had been significantly altered and could not be presented at the National level. It was, therefore, withdrawn and not presented to the Executive Secretary by the Regional Secretary during the Regional Secretaries meeting held at Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development on March 28, 2025,” he remarked, adding that the procedure states that when a script is not presented to the Executive Secretary, it is not scheduled to perform at the national level.

The students were hence instructed to go home for the April holidays but were later recalled after a court order directed that the play be presented at the national level.

Ogamba clarified that as of yesterday April 9, the officials barred Malala from gaining access to the school’s premise because he isn’t a teacher, hence couldn’t be allowed to direct the play as per the existing rules and guidelines.

Conclusively, the CS reassured Kenyans that the Ministry is fully committed to promoting talents among learners through all forms of co-curricula activities available in our school system.

However, he urges the school heads to stick to the rules and regulations governing co-curricula activities, that any violation to that will not be condoned.