Just a week after the shocking incident at the National Drama Festivals in Nakuru, where students from Butere Girls High School were teargassed, the government has come forward to apologise.
Dennis Itumbi, who serves as the Head of Creative Economy and Presidential Special Projects, offered the apology while speaking during a live interview on Citizen TV on Wednesday night.
He addressed the matter sincerely, issuing a heartfelt apology to the students on behalf of the government.
“I want to take this opportunity, with the full authority and honour of the government, to apologise to the Butere Girls students for the teargas that was unleashed on them. I am deeply sorry for what happened,” Itumbi stated. “This apology is not just from me personally, but it represents the entire government.
I lead a department that supports the creative economy, and I admit we failed not only by allowing the teargas incident to happen but also by not doing enough to ensure the students were able to perform their play until the very end.
I am committed to sitting down with my team to come up with solutions to prevent this from happening again.”
Itumbi also expressed regret that the girls lost the chance to perform their highly anticipated play titled Echoes of War on the national stage.
He acknowledged how much effort and preparation had gone into the performance, and how important the moment was for the students.
As someone who is also involved in the arts, Itumbi said he could relate to the passion and dedication behind such a play.
He blamed the unfortunate turn of events on overzealous security officers and insisted the students should have been allowed to perform without interference.
Addressing online rumours that the school’s principal and drama patrons were being punished for their involvement in the play, Itumbi denied these claims.
He clarified that no disciplinary action had been taken against them. He further revealed that the school’s principal, who was allegedly being transferred to Wajir as punishment, was actually close to retirement.
“There is no form of punishment or revenge related to the play. According to my information, the principal of Butere Girls is due to retire in the next two months.
She has had an inspiring career as an educator, and she will be allowed to complete her duties with dignity,” he explained.
The drama surrounding Echoes of War intensified on the evening of April 9 when former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, who wrote the play, was dramatically arrested by police officers. He had reportedly been trying to meet the students for rehearsals.
Following his arrest, there was a wave of national attention, with many people discussing the issue on social media and other platforms.
The students, feeling unsupported and without essential items like props and a public address system, decided to boycott the performance. Their director, Malala, remained in police custody at the time.
Instead of performing, the students sang the national anthem and peacefully walked off the stage in protest, demanding Malala’s release.
However, chaos erupted shortly after, and police used teargas on the students, causing widespread public outrage.
In response to the incident, Malala has announced plans to have the play staged with an adult cast. He also said the performance will be professionally recorded and shared on YouTube so that everyone can watch it.
This unfortunate incident has sparked nationwide debate on how young talent in Kenya is treated, especially in the creative industry.
Many are now calling for reforms to ensure students can freely express themselves through art without fear of intimidation or violence.
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