Echoes of Shame: Government vs. Teenage Artistry at National Drama Festival.
What was intended to be an ordinary National Drama Festival week has spiraled into a national debacle, with the government at odds with teenage girls, as the country watches in disbelief.
The controversy began when the Butere Girls Drama Group delivered an exceptional performance of Echoes of War, a play that progressed from local competitions to wider regional distinctions. The play’s critical themes caught the attention of the government, triggering a sequence of events that would soon unravel.
Some government officials, uncomfortable with the play’s messages and the issues it raised, pressured for its disqualification during the Western Region Drama Festivals under unclear circumstances. This move sparked a lengthy legal battle, culminating in a High Court ruling that overturned the disqualification and reinstated the play, ordering it to be included in the national festival lineup.
The Arrest of Cleophas Malala
The situation took another dramatic turn when Cleophas Malala, the play’s scripter and director, arrived in Nakuru to assist his students in preparing for their performance at the National Drama Festivals.
Malala was met with a large contingent of heavily armed police officers and senior DCI officials, who barred him from meeting with the girls and arrested him. The arrest unfolded amid a tense exchange, with Malala pleading for clarification on the charges against him.
As the scene played out, journalists documented the unfolding chaos. Malala was seen questioning the police about the discrepancy in treatment between schools.
His protests, which were broadcast on national television, highlighted the surreal clash between a government seemingly at odds with the artistic expressions of high school students.
The situation rapidly escalated, turning the area around Kirobon Girls High School into a battleground. On April 10, Nakuru residents awoke to find the streets filled with police officers confronting agitated students, sparking riots that spread quickly and garnered widespread media attention.
The government’s heavy-handed tactics left many questioning its treatment of young people simply pursuing their artistic talents.
Public Reactions and Criticism
Social media erupted as Kenyans expressed shock at the government’s actions. Many criticized the Kenya Kwanza administration’s harsh approach, particularly the excessive response to a high school play.
Mary Wanjau remarked that the play’s stir indicated the powerful impact of storytelling, fulfilling the purpose of art in challenging the status quo. Shirleen Mwanza noted that the treatment of 16-year-olds by powerful government figures reflected a fear of accountability, while others lamented how literature and art have historically been used to criticize oppressive regimes.
Robert Mukundi, reflecting on the critical works of Kenyan literature, emphasized that many influential works in Kenyan schools had challenged political oppression, teaching young readers to think critically and courageously.
These themes have continued to echo in literature and arts, where figures like Wole Soyinka used their pens to condemn authoritarian regimes.
Historical Context of Theatre in Kenya
Kenyan theatre has long been a tool for social commentary. Dr. Mwangi Gichora, a prominent figure in Kenyan theatre, noted that the National Drama Festivals of the 1970s and 1980s became platforms for radical theater.
During the KANU government’s suppression of the arts in the 1980s, many productions were heavily censored, and theatre was viewed as a vehicle for stirring political consciousness. These historical events underscore the long-standing tension between the government and creative expression.
The students of Butere Girls Secondary School experienced further injustice when they were tear-gassed while attempting to leave Kirobon Girls High School.
Naivasha East MCA, Stanley Karanja, a former teacher and playwright, captured the irony of the situation, observing that the “Echoes of War” play was being performed not by the students but by the police. He described the scene, where students faced harassment, tear gas, and trauma at the hands of law enforcement, as a real-life enactment of the play’s title.
Read Also: ODM Condemns Hostile Government Response to Echoes of War Performance at Drama Festival
A National Spectacle
The government has inadvertently transformed Echoes of War into a national and potentially international spectacle. The controversy has sparked widespread debate on social media, drawing attention to the government’s intolerance of dissent.
It has also shifted the public’s focus to President Ruto’s apparent disregard for criticism, positioning his administration in an increasingly autocratic light.
Echoes of War addresses pertinent contemporary issues such as technology, governance, and social justice, especially relevant to Generation Z. The play portrays a nation recovering from civil war, with young people leading efforts to rebuild the country, while also critiquing the influence of digital spaces in governance and the potential for youth to drive societal change.
Echoes of Shame: Government vs. Teenage Artistry at National Drama Festival.
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