Cleophas Malala, the author of the controversial fictional play, Echoes of War, has revealed that no government official has spoken to him regarding the reasons for his arrest on the night of Wednesday, April 10, 2025.
Malala, currently in custody at the Eldama Ravine station, made the revelations while speaking on a phone interview with a local radio station on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
Speaking on his ordeal, Malala confirmed he remains unsure of his fate almost 13 hours after he was apprehended.
“They have told me nothing, I have been behind bars since yesterday around 11 PM. They have told me nothing, nobody is talking to me. I am just in the police cell waiting for the next course of action. I am shocked that no government official has spoken to me since yesterday,” Malala confirmed.
The politician has further lamented the government’s response to the matter, citing what he termed as unfortunate happenings surrounding his arrest.
The former senator was arrested while joining up with Butere Girls students for the rehearsals of the controversial play on Wednesday. The arrest predated a pattern of events that included a timely court intervention to quash attempts to block the play from being featured in the national drama festivals after it had initially been controversially dropped.
Empathy
“Last night was quite an ugly night for Kenya. I am disappointed with how the government is handling this matter. I want to say that I empathize with the students of Butere Girls. The young souls who had given out to express themselves and nurture talent through arts,” he stated.
With the play having elicited quite a storm, Malala revealed the motivation behind crafting the play, noting that it is aimed at addressing the issues that have been raised by the country’s young populace.
“Basically, It’s because it talks about the plight of the young generation popularly known as Gen Zs. They are demanding good governance, free from corruption, accountability in leadership and so many other things that they think will paint a good society they want to live in. Therefore, I think it is a play that will relay encourage Kenyans and help us correct the rots in our society,” he said.
“Drama festivals have been there for a long time, we have a variety of things being exposed at national drama festivals. It is quite unfortunate for officials and administration to victimize young souls who are just out there to expose what they think is the rot in society. I want to encourage everybody in charge of the festivals to sober up. This is just a play and it has nothing to do with incitement or name-calling. It is just an artistic created to expose the rot bedevilling our country,” he added.