The government has given a green light for Butere Girls High School to stage their play, Echoes of War, at the ongoing Kenya National Drama and Film Festivals in Nakuru County.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Dr. Julius Bitok confirmed the development on Monday, during the official opening of the 63rd edition of the annual schools and colleges festival held at Melvin Jones Hall, Nakuru.
“There were issues raised earlier, but they have been resolved. I don’t want us to dwell on them—I can assure the public that the play will go on,” Bitok stated, addressing mounting public concern over the school’s earlier disqualification.
The assurance follows a recent controversy in which the play, despite Butere Girls’ strong performance in previous rounds, was dropped from the Western Regional winners’ gala. The school’s drama club was also instructed to send its members home, effectively halting preparations for the national festival.
The play had earlier triumphed at the Butere Sub-County level and secured third place at the Western Regional Drama Festivals, making its exclusion from the national stage both surprising and contentious.
However, in a legal intervention on April 3, Justice Wilfrida Okwany ordered the school’s principal, Jennifer Omondi, to recall the 50 students involved in the production. The court also suspended any directive barring Butere Girls from participating in the national event.
With the government’s assurance and the court’s directive, Echoes of War is now set to take the national stage, reaffirming the festival’s commitment to promoting artistic expression and justice in student performance arts.
The Kenya National Drama and Film Festival continues this week, showcasing talent from schools and colleges across the country.
