Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Butere Diocese Bishop Rose Okeno has said the students who returned from Nakuru will need psychological support following events that unfolded during the drama festivals.
Bishop Okeno confirmed that all the girls had returned safely.
The school bus ferrying the girls was escorted back to Butere on Thursday under tight security.
Speaking to the media after holding a church service with the students, Bishop Okeno said they had observed clear signs of trauma and distress among the learners who had been affected by the chaotic scenes witnessed in Nakuru.
The students returned to the institution on Thursday evening after the chaotic scenes, and were later taken to ACK Butere Church for special prayers, accompanied by a section of parents and teachers.
“We just had a service with them, we have encouraged them because we know and believe that is our role as spiritual leaders and as a mother in this case like I told them in the church,” Bishop Okeno said.
“We have observed that they (students) are so hurt, they are actually traumatised, they are crying, when you look at each face, they are so devastated. We pray that God in his mercy will cause healing,” she said.
The learners earlier declined to perform the controversial play "Echoes of War" demanding for the release of Former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala who is said to have scripted the play and was the play director.
The school had initially been banned from staging the Gen Z-themed play on grounds that its theme critiques the government.
The court, however, lifted the ban on April 3, paving the way for them to participate when Justice Wilfrida Okwany suspended any letter banning or barring the school from participating in the festival.
The play centres on a nation recovering from a civil war, with young citizens at the forefront of rebuilding efforts and critiques the role of digital spaces in governance and the power of youth in shaping societal change.
It blends tradition, religion, and futuristic elements to
dramatize a generational conflict simmering beneath the surface of many modern
societies.
