Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy Dennis Itumbi has defended the government’s role in the recent drama surrounding Butere Girls’ High School’s controversial play, Echoes of War.
Speaking during an interview with a local media station on Wednesday, April 17, 2025, Itumbi said the Kenya National Drama Festivals are fully funded by the government, and therefore, it is within the government’s right to create rules around what happens at the event.
“This festival is fully funded by the Government of Kenya. To be fair, the government has a point in making rules,” Itumbi stated.
He spoke amid growing public debate over the controversial play Echoes of War by Butere Girls’ High School, which was initially stopped from being staged at the national drama festivals in Nakuru.
The play Echoes of War, written and directed by former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, touches on sensitive issues like tribalism, inequality, governance, youth activism, and the impact of technology. It had won third place at the Western Regional Drama Festivals, earning Butere Girls a spot at the nationals.
Itumbi elaborated on the 2025 regulations set by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), which state that only teachers or lecturers from accredited institutions are permitted to train drama teams.
He acknowledged that, although he is not officially qualified as a teacher, he has been involved in theatre out of a genuine passion for the art.
He emphasised that, similar to Malala, he does not meet the qualifications required by the TSC but participates in the drama activities.
“In the TSC regulations 2025, trainers of the Kenya National Drama festival items shall be teachers and tutors registered by the TSC or lecturers employed by a registered post-secondary education institution. I am not a teacher, just like Malala, we perform these plays out of passion, albeit illegally,” he said.
He, however, criticised how the situation involving the Butere Girls was handled, especially the use of force to prevent the performance.
“I belong to the group of people who say that it was absolutely unnecessary to block the girls from performing. There’s an assumption that when you work for the government, you hold a certain position,” Itumbi noted
Adding;
“The easier and right thing was for Butere Girls to stage the play. However, when they picked up a microphone and addressed their teachers, it became a disciplinary issue. At a point where it was a play, there was no reason to stop them.”
Drama unfolding
Despite being given the green light to perform the play following a court order, on the day of the scheduled performance, the students refused to stage the play.
Instead, they walked out of the venue chanting “No Butere, No Drama” and “Ruto Must Go.” They cited fear due to a heavy police presence and claimed the stage was poorly prepared.
The incident stirred reactions across the country, with human rights activists and a section of leaders condemning the incident. The government was accused of intimidation to stop the politically sensitive play.
The government, on the other hand, accused Malala of using the students for his political agenda.