“Ruto Must Go! You are our heroes!” The chants echoed across the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama and Film Festival in Nakuru County, as the crowd rose in protest, standing in solidarity with students from Butere Girls’ High School who had just stormed out moments before their scheduled performance.
Supporters, clearly moved by the students’ defiance, joined in the protest, turning the artistic event into a moment of resistance. Students from other schools refused to perform as well, declaring they would not take to the stage until Butere Girls’ grievances were heard and addressed.
The show of unity resulted in a complete boycott of the day’s performances, leaving organizers scrambling. What was meant to be a vibrant showcase of talent instead became a scene of youthful outrage and collective solidarity.
The festival, initially set to be filmed and broadcast live on the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD)-owned Edu TV, faced setbacks earlier as the live stream was abruptly cut off. Cameras were turned away, and new restrictions barred the event from being captured on film.
Butere Girls students cited harassment, intimidation, and logistical failures as the reasons behind their withdrawal.
“We were harassed by the police. We went to the stage with nothing — no sound, no décor, nothing. So we sang the National Anthem and left,” one student said, her voice filled with pain and indignation.
According to the students, their decision to abandon the performance of their powerful play Echoes of War was not spontaneous but the result of days of mounting frustration and neglect by organizers.
They also expressed deep concern over the absence of their director, Cleophas Malala, who they claimed had been missing for weeks. His disappearance, they said, left them unprepared and unsupported.
“We want our director. We are not performing without our director,” several students shouted in unison.
“Where is Mr. Cleophas? We want him. We are not going back to Butere,” they said making it clear that without his presence and proper conditions, their performance would remain indefinitely suspended.