“Let me start by condemning in the strongest terms the barbaric and retrogressive actions of the police at the National Drama Festival in Nakuru. It is a shame to the Government which has a Ministry responsible for Sports,the Arts and Creative Economy.
When a government starts trembling at the sight of schoolgirls performing a play, then we must all pause and ask: what exactly is it running from?
The events that unfolded in Nakuru, where Butere Girls High School students were tear-gassed for showcasing a piece of theatre, mark a dark and shameful chapter in our national story. What threat does a group of uniformed girls pose to the mighty State? None, unless truth itself has become unbearable to hear.
Our young people are not the enemy. They are the soul of our nation. Their voices must not be silenced; their creativity must not be crushed under the boots of fear. A country that cannot handle a high school play has no business preaching democracy or claiming to uphold constitutional freedoms.
This regime must understand that it was not elected to intimidate children. It was put in place to protect them, to nurture them, to create an environment where their talents and ideas can thrive, not to tear-gas them into silence.”
