When the curtains rose on Echoes of War, none of us could have foreseen what happened next. Penned by former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala and performed by the bold drama students of Butere Girls High School, Echoes of War tackled the weighty truths of intergenerational conflict, the limits of power, and the cost of progress. Set in the fictional Royal Velvet Emirates, the play follows Mustafa, a visionary young techie whose innovations threaten a conservative regime. It is a fictional world, yes, but one that reflects the realities young people across Kenya know all too well.
And yet, after placing third at the Western Regional Drama Festivals, the girls were blocked from performing at the national drama festival in Nakuru. The school principal, allegedly acting on directives from above, sent the team home. Their crime? Putting on a play.
In response, former student Anifa Mango took the matter to court. The High Court ruled in the students’ favor and ordered their return to the stage. It was a rare, necessary win. But the damage, the message sent to young creators, remains.
At Zeda, we believe this matters. Deeply.
Art is not an extracurricular. Art is a lifeline. It is how communities process trauma, reimagine possibility, and interrogate power. To silence it is to starve a society of its soul.
What these girls did, standing up for performing a piece that dared to reflect uncomfortable truths, is not just commendable. It is vital.And yet, we live in a society where children are punished for thinking critically. For being creative. For having something to say. That should trouble all of us.
Let us say it plainly: harming children is never justifiable. Silencing them is not protection, it is oppression.This is not the first time Butere Girls has been at the center of a censorship storm.
In 2013, their play Shackles of Doom, also by Malala, was banned for confronting ethnicity and inequality. Over a decade later, we are still here. Still afraid of young voices. Still choosing silence over conversation.Butere Girls reminds us that the fight is not over. There is a generation rising, one that is bold, fearless, and ready to rewrite the script. These students reminded us what resistance looks like. And we should all be taking notes.To the girls of Butere, we see you. We hear you. We stand with you.
May your voices echo far beyond the stage. May your courage help shape the stories we tell and the country we build. And may every Kenyan girl who dreams of a different world know this; your voice is powerful, and your truth is enough.
