Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi has strongly condemned the harassment of Butere Girls High School students during the National Drama Festival in Nakuru.
In a statement shared on his official X account on Thursday, April 10, 2025, Muturi criticised the police for tear-gassing the students, describing the actions as an unjustifiable attack on young minds simply expressing their creativity.
“Let me start by condemning in the strongest terms the barbaric and regressive actions of the police at the National Drama Festival in Nakuru. When a government starts trembling at the sight of schoolgirls performing a play, then we must all pause and ask, What exactly is it running from?” Muturi stated.
“The events that unfolded in Nakuru, where Butere Girls High School students were tear-gassed for showcasing a piece of theatre, mark a dark and shameful chapter in our national story.”
Muturi further questioned what threat a group of uniformed girls posed to the state, suggesting the government’s harsh response was due to the truth in their performance being too difficult to handle.
“What threat does a group of uniformed girls pose to the mighty State? None, unless truth itself has become unbearable to hear,” he added.
Muturi emphasised that young people are the nation’s future and should not be silenced or stifled.
“Our young people are not the enemy. They are the soul of our nation. Their voices must not be silenced; their creativity must not be crushed under the boots of fear,” Muturi remarked.
He argued that a country unable to handle a high school play has no right to claim to uphold democracy or constitutional freedoms.
“A country that cannot handle a high school play has no business preaching democracy or claiming to uphold constitutional freedoms,” he stated.
Muturi on govt’s involvement
In addition, Muturi called out the government, stating it was elected to protect and nurture children, not to intimidate them or silence their voices with force.
“This regime must understand that it was not elected to intimidate children. It was put in place to protect them, to nurture them, to create an environment where their talents and ideas can thrive, not to tear gas them into silence,” Muturi stated.
“It is a shame to the government, which has a ministry responsible for sports, the arts and the creative economy,” he pointed out.