Echoes of War is now a popular subject in the country. This is a play that was supposed to be performed by Butere Girls High school in the 2025 National Drama and Film Festival in Nakuru.
The play has however faced obstacles and ended up not being performed on the national stage. According to sources, Butere girls were forced on stage as early as 6 am, yet the play had been scheduled for 8 am. There was no audience as well as sound support and stage props.
The girls refused to perform in such an environment. They only performed the national anthem, and walked away form the stage in protest. They demanded the release of their director who had been arrested and blocked from attending rehearsals hours to the main performance.
The play, which was written and directed by Cleophas Malala, a former Kakamega senator and former UDA secretary general, addresses the issues of technology, social justice and governance. The events of the play are similar to what was witnessed in Kenya during the Gen Z-led protests.
In 2013, Malala was also at the centre of the Drama Festivals with his controversial play Shackles of Doom, that also faced the same obstacles as Echoes of War.
Here are some of the similarities between the two plays;
They focus on major issues affecting Kenya
While Echoes of War touches on governance, issues of social justice and role of young generation in governance Shackles of doom addresses the issues of ethnicity and inequality when it comes to distribution of resources.These are some of the major issues that the country has been grappling with over the years.
“Shackles of Doom addressed issues of inequality in distribution of resources in this country. If you go to Turkana county, they have immense resources but the people who are benefiting from them are not Turkanas. When you go to Taita Taveta, they have immense gemstones but the people benefiting are not from Taita Taveta,” Malala said then after the play was banned.
“The spirit of one man one shilling one vote should be transited to the 85 per cent that remains with the national government,” he added
They both rubbed the government in the wrong way
Both plays are believed to be critiquing the governments in power. In the plot of the 2013 Shackles of Doom, only one community accessed jobs and developments and this was seen as a shot at former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government.
Echoes of War on the other hand is believed to be targeting William Ruto’s regime.
The plays were banned but reinstated by court
In 2013, the ministry of education banned shackles from being performed in the national festival in Mombasa .
“The plot of the play goes completely against our national goals. I ask for for forgiveness from Butere Girls students because they don’t know what is going on because the owner of the play might be having other personal interests,” one of the official at the event said.
Luckily, the high court lifted the ban allowing the play to be performed.
Echoes of War topped the Drama Festivals in Western Region thus qualifying for the nationals. However, weeks to the much anticipated event at Kirobon Girls in Nakuru, the play was dropped from the list of performers at the nationals under unclear circumstances
The court however overturned the decision in early April 2025, allowing the girls to proceed with their play. Things however didn’t go as expected as they faced many obstacles at the venue, forcing them to leave in protest.
Both plays performed by Butere girls
Echoes of War and Shackles of Doom have been both performed by Butere Girls with many applauding the school for being bold enough to take on serious issues that the country is facing.
They were both directed by Malala
Malala wrote Shackles of Doom in 2013 while serving as an MCA of Mahiakalo Ward on an ODM ticket.
Echoes of War come out in the wake of his fallout with Kenya Kwanza, months after he was dismissed as UDA secretary General.
