NAKURU, Kenya — A small group of determined schoolgirls from Western Kenya is set to take the national stage after a dramatic court ruling thrust their controversial performance into the spotlight.
On Tuesday, a court in Nyamira ordered Butere Girls High School to present Echoes of War, a student play that had faced mounting political pushback, at the ongoing 63rd National Drama and Film Festivals in Nakuru.
The ruling by Justice Winfrida Okwany followed growing concern that the piece—penned by former UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala—had been quietly dropped from the programme over its daring subject matter. The play, performed by students from the all-girls school, delves into the simmering tensions and frustrations that erupted into Kenya’s Gen Z-led protests in June 2023.
It’s a raw, unapologetic portrayal of disillusionment, state response, and youthful dissent. And while it resonated powerfully with a younger generation, it reportedly raised eyebrows in higher offices.
On Monday, Ministry of Education officials confirmed the school’s reinstated participation, though Echoes of War had initially been omitted from the official festival schedule.
“There was an issue that was raised, but it has since been cleared, and the girls will perform,” said Julius Bitok, the Principal Secretary for Basic Education.
For days, uncertainty clouded the team’s fate. Their exclusion followed a decision by Chief Principal Jennipher Omondi to send the students home, reportedly acting on a directive linked to State House. That move drew swift criticism and ignited debates over censorship, student expression, and the space for political commentary in school theatre.
With the court’s decision now securing their place at the festival, the students—accompanied by Malala—are expected to travel to Nakuru to perform before a national audience.
Their return to the stage marks more than just a reinstatement; it signals a moment of resistance, a pushback against efforts to sanitise youthful voices grappling with Kenya’s shifting political and social tides.
As the curtain rises in Nakuru, Echoes of War promises to be more than a school play. It is, in every sense, a national conversation brought to life by those who will inherit its outcome.
