CS Ogamba: Students pulled out of festival performance over Malala’s absence

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has said Butere Girls High School students made the decision not to present their play Echoes of War at the National Drama Festival after insisting that Cleophas Malala, who was not allowed at the venue, be present.

While speaking in Mombasa during the secondary school sports championships, Ogamba stated that the learners declined to perform on their own accord.

"When it was time for the students to take the stage, one of them stepped forward and announced they would not perform without their director," he said.

The CS explained that the girls demanded Malala’s attendance despite him not being part of the teaching staff or the creative team behind the production. "Is Malala their teacher?" he posed.

Reports earlier suggested that the students had been denied access to key performance requirements, including sound equipment, costumes, and a proper stage environment.

Anti-riot officers had taken control of the area, restricting access to both spectators and journalists.

The girls reportedly sang the national anthem before exiting the stage. Their actions drew attention to the absence of their director, whom they had expected to guide them through the presentation.

Malala was arrested on Wednesday at Kirobon School in Nakuru, where the team had been preparing for the festival.

According to him, "I was arrested and placed in a Subaru, then taken to a forest by the DCI and later to Eldama Ravine, where I was held without water, food, or access to my lawyer. I was released a few minutes ago without any charges."

Following his release, he described the students as brave for declining to perform.

"I am saying that those girls are the heroines of this nation. They should be celebrated, and their names should be inscribed with the history of this country," he said.

Speaking earlier on Spice FM, Malala had criticised the treatment of the learners.

"It was a heroic moment for those girls because they wouldn’t have performed without the audience, decor, costume, and their directors. That is unfair, and I believe officials must be held accountable for denying the students their right to perform in an artistic activity," he said.

The students’ refusal was linked to a lack of proper resources and the absence of those who guided the production