'Orders from above': Malala says Ruto behind Butere Girls' drama festival snub

All was well and no issue had been raised when Butere Girls performed their play at the sub-county and county levels.

The learners performed well and scooped position one at the two levels, at the regional levels they were awarded a 90 per cent mark.

Their joy of performing well and proceeding to the national level was, however, cut short following an alleged order from above that their play should not be seen anywhere.

The team of 50 girls presented the play at the sub-county level on February 22, 2025.

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On March 11, the girls presented the play at the county level and qualified to proceed to the regional levels.

On March 22, 2025, the students presented the play at the regional level, and adjudicators found the play fit to proceed to the National Drama and Music festivals.

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It was while waiting to proceed to the nationals that a decision was made to bar them from performing. "Orders from above" were, allegedly, issued. The drama committee allegedly organised a winners' gala on March 29 and 30 to the exclusion of Butere Girls' play from the programme.

Former United Democratic Alliance Party Secretary General Cleophas Malala said President William Ruto is behind the woes of Echoes of War, the title of the play.

Malala said, after the regional festivals, he was informed by the school head that the students had been told they will not proceed to the national levels since the play was political and was tarnishing the names of certain leaders.

“I followed up with the Regional Director of Education, who told me there were orders from State House that the play should not be performed anywhere,” said Malala.

He said the words of the education official saw him move to court, where he filed a case. The court, he said, issued orders in his favour, but even with the orders, they were not allowed to rehearse their play.

“The person behind all this is not the Regional Education Director, nor the drama officials. The person who has an issue with the play is William Samoei Ruto, and we must call him out,” said Malala.

Malala informed President Ruto that the play would help him, and inform him of the issues raised by Kenyans, and what they need.

In the play, Malala notes that Kenyans, particularly the Gen Z, want a universal healthcare that is working and not the SHA (Social Health Authority) that is not working. He said the girls are telling the President that SHA must work.

He added that they are also calling for good governance free of corruption. He added that the President has not been mentioned directly.

“If your advisors cannot tell you, Butere Girls students were coming to tell you they want a country that has good governance and is free from corruption. They also want an education system that will help them, where is the problem with that?” Malala said.

The play, he said, has not mentioned anyone but is set in a fictional setting somewhere in the Middle East.

He said the President must listen to the people.

He added that they will follow the right procedure until the play is performed. He directed his lawyers to do what they could to ensure the play is performed.

“Go back to court and get orders for those children to perform before an audience, get another order that the students perform at the National Theatre, and they be filmed,” he said.

The former senator said he had the best cast and the girls were to shock everyone, including the President.

Asked whether he was using the girls to settle his political scores, Malala said all set books are political, adding that the students are well informed, know what is happening, and have a right to express themselves.

“Do not look at me from the angle of a politician. Before I became a politician, I was an actor, then a director. This will not stop me, I will continue writing plays,” he added.

He said the girls were escorted by police vehicles as they headed back to Kakamega.

Lawyer Kennedy Echesa said the government violated the rights of the children and learners of Butere Girls.

“We have instructions to pursue remedies under this violation. The government has violated the very basic education regulation 2015 which asks that they (learners) participate in co-curricular activities, including drama,” Echesa said.

He said he and his team will be going back to court and cite all the players for contempt. He said, among those they will file contempt proceedings against, is the principal of Butere Girls, whom he claimed was issuing illegal and retrogressive directives.

Kenya's government, Echesa said, has also violated international treaties it signed.

He said the orders of the court issued in Kisii were not respected, and they will be seeking that the Butere Girls students be given ample time to stage the play to the public. If Kenyans approve it, then it must be presented in a Gala at State House.

DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa said the party will also sue the government for unlawfully detaining Malala.

He urged Malala not to fear and to continue growing talents. Wamalwa said if nothing is done, the country, led by President Ruto, will slide back to dictatorship and will lose all the gains made.

“If you can stop little children from telling their story about a failed system, they are either beneficiaries or victims of failed policies. If they are feeling the pain, they are the wearers of the shoe and want to tell it through their talent, why stop them? What kind of a government fears its children,” said Wamalwa.

“This is a government that is even afraid of its own shadow, not worth being called a government. We are going to court to ensure the rights of the children are protected. We will have this issue raised in Parliament also,” he added. 

Wamalwa said the First Lady, Rachel Ruto, should condemn what happened to the girls.

Kabuchai MP Kalasinga Majimbo said he was disturbed by the manner the police were handling the learners.

Majimbo said he would request a statement in Parliament to get an explanation about when the distractors knew the play was wrong.

He called on First Lady Rachel to make sure that the play is performed in State House, being an alumnus of Butere Girls.

“I request the First Lady to inform the State that she wants to see the girls perform in State House. Let her sit and watch the girls of her former school perform. We want them to perform in a bigger arena,” Majimbo said.