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Kenya’s national high school drama competition has been marred by controversy after law enforcement officers deployed tear gas to disperse a crowd gathered to watch a contentious play. The incident has cast a shadow over the annual event, highlighting tensions surrounding freedom of expression and artistic merit within the educational sphere.
Controversial Play at Center of Dispute
The play, entitled “Echoes of War,” is staged in a fictional kingdom where young citizens have lost confidence in their leadership. Its narrative includes confrontations with police forces and has drawn comparisons to recent youth demonstrations against tax increases.
Initially, “Echoes of War” faced disqualification from the drama festival under unclear circumstances. However, a High Court decision reversed this action, mandating its inclusion in the competition.
Student Protests and Author’s Detention
On Thursday morning, tensions escalated in Nakuru, a town in western Kenya, as students exited the performance venue demanding the release of the play’s writer, Cleophas Malala. Police had detained Mr. Malala, a former senator who authored the script for Butere Girls School students.
Mr. Malala was reportedly prevented by police from meeting with the students on Wednesday evening for final rehearsals. He was later released without any charges filed and commended the students for their boycott of the event.
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“The young women of Butere Girls’ have demonstrated heroic resilience. I am committed to ensuring ‘Echoes of War’ is presented to a Kenyan audience,” Mr. Malala stated following his release.
Student Walkout and Police Response
The students briefly sang the national anthem before staging a dramatic walkout from the hall. Anti-riot police, equipped with batons and tear gas, subsequently sealed off the venue.
“There is no audience. Who are we performing for?” a student remarked to reporters, voicing their frustration and concerns about police harassment.
News of Mr. Malala’s apprehension spurred a large gathering of individuals outside the venue, eager to witness the controversial play.
However, anti-riot police had been deployed overnight as a precautionary measure and utilized tear gas to disperse the prospective audience.
Ministerial Reactions and Public Outcry
Education Minister Julius Ogamba questioned Mr. Malala’s involvement in the high school drama competition, noting that the politician is neither a teacher nor a drama instructor.
“I question why a politician is scripting student performances. The integrity of the competition is compromised if teachers are excluded from scriptwriting,” stated Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen. He cautioned politicians against exploiting students for political purposes.
“We must strictly separate politics and education,” he asserted.
The unfolding situation has triggered widespread public condemnation. Amnesty International, a human rights organization, described it as “indicative of a disturbing trend of state-sanctioned suppression of free expression, press freedom, and the right to assembly.”
Chief Justice Martha Koome emphasized that Mr. Malala’s detention defied the court order that permitted the play and its author to participate in the competition.
“Disregarding court mandates not only weakens the judiciary’s authority but also presents a grave threat to the rule of law, which is fundamental to our society,” she added.
Prominent opposition figure Kalonzo Musyoka denounced the police action of deploying tear gas near students, lauding the “courageous” students for refusing to perform under such circumstances.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), an opposition party, issued a statement demanding that the students be permitted to present their play, similar to all other participants in the competition.