Tear Gas Chaos as Butere Girls Drama Team Protest Disrupts Nakuru Festival
A drama-filled morning unfolded in Nakuru on Thursday as police were forced to lob tear gas to disperse protestors rallying behind Butere Girls High School’s drama team. The unrest, which disrupted the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama and Film Festival at Kirobon Girls High School, has sparked national conversation on student rights and artistic freedom.
The Butere Girls students were among those caught in the chaotic scenes, with several forced to flee back to their school bus as tear gas canisters filled the air. Eyewitnesses described students crying and shouting, “Funga dirisha, funga dirisha” (close the windows), and questioning why police were targeting them. Some students reportedly fell while retreating in panic.
Controversial Play and Arrest of Director
The protest stemmed from the scheduled performance of the school’s play, Echoes of War, a piece reportedly scripted by former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala. The students declined to go on stage, demanding the release of Malala, who is also said to be the play’s director and was allegedly arrested just before the performance.
Tension began to escalate on Wednesday night when police fired tear gas to break up a crowd gathered outside the school to witness a standoff between Malala and law enforcement officers. By Thursday morning, the situation had intensified.
Festival Underway Amid Controversy
The national festival, which runs from April 7 to 15, is themed “Leveraging Technology to Nurture Talent While Inculcating Value for Social Prosperity.” The 63rd edition kicked off at Melvin Jones International School, with Principal Secretary for Basic Education Julius Bitok urging young creatives to harness technology to monetise their talents.
Despite the promising start to the festival, the Butere Girls incident has overshadowed performances and brought attention to issues of censorship, student safety, and the role of politics in school co-curricular activities.
National Outcry
The use of force against schoolchildren has been widely condemned on social media, with many calling for an investigation into Malala’s arrest and the treatment of the Butere Girls students. Rights activists have also questioned the government’s commitment to nurturing talent if freedom of expression is being curtailed.
As the festival continues, all eyes remain on Nakuru, where the intersection of art, politics, and youth expression is playing out in real-time.
In other news:Farouk Kibet: The Man Who Runs Kenya From the Shadows
Tear Gas Chaos as Butere Girls Drama Team Protest Disrupts Nakuru Festival