Echoes of censorship: When art touches raw nerve of power centre
A crowd escort a school bus ferrying Butere Girls’ students from Melvin Jones Academy in Nakuru on April 10, 2025. The learners refused to perform the ‘Echoes of War’ play in the ongoing National Drama and Film Festivals.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
The Kenyan government is caught in the eye of another storm for censoring artistic expression after police disrupted the performance of a play perceived to be critical of the William Ruto administration at a national drama competition.
Students of Butere Girls' High School on Thursday refused to stage their play Echoes of War in Nakuru to protest hours of harassment during which police arrested the scriptwriter, assaulted journalists covering the event, and lobbed tear gas at members of public who had showed up to watch them perform.
