Butere Girls Stage Walkout Over Director’s Arrest at National Drama Festival

Former UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala

A standoff ensued at the National Drama Festival in Nakuru on Thursday, April 10, after Butere Girls High School students declined to perform their play, 'Echoes of War', demanding the release of their director, former UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala.

The incident occurred at Melvin Jones Lions Academy, the official venue for this year’s national competition.

Moments before their scheduled performance, the students left the main stage, chanting, “We want our director,” and ran out of the auditorium.

According to videos seen by Daily Times KE, the group exited the stage after singing the national anthem. One of the students claimed they were subjected to police harassment and lacked the necessary stage setup for their performance.

“We were harassed by the police. They took us to the stage with nothing. We sang the national anthem and said we are not going to perform,” she stated.

Malala, who wrote and directed the play, was arrested on Wednesday, April 9 night at Kirobon Girls Secondary School in Nakuru, where the students were conducting their final rehearsals. He was detained at Eldama Ravine Police Station for over eight hours.

Cleophas Malala

The former senator said he had obtained a High Court order allowing him to direct the play and questioned the basis of his arrest. 

“The High Court has allowed me to direct the play. Other directors are already here. If you want to arrest me, then say why, because I’m implementing a court order,” Malala said.

Police had not provided official charges or reasons for the arrest as of Thursday afternoon. Malala also said that he had not received any briefing from the Nakuru police leadership regarding his detention.

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua issued a statement condemning the arrest, describing it as a misuse of the criminal justice system. 

"It is a shame of unimaginable proportion that dozens of DCI detectives in five vehicles have been dispatched to arrest and intimidate Senator Cleophas Malala for writing a script that has won its way to the National Drama Festival in Nakuru," Gachagua said.

He said the deployment of police officers to apprehend Malala was unnecessary and called it an infringement on artistic space.

'Echoes of War' was one of the most anticipated plays of the year’s festival and had been initially disqualified during the Western Region Drama Festivals under unclear circumstances.