Teargas fired as stand-off over Malala play escalates

Police have fired teargas to disperse crowds that had gathered to witness a stand-off between former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala and the police outside Kirobon Girls High School in Rongai subcounty, Nakuru.

According to Malala, police arrived at the school hosting schools participating in the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama and Film Festival to prevent him from overseeing the rehearsal of Echoes of War, a play by Kakamega's Butere Girls High School.

Malala is the playwrite and director of the controversial piece of drama.

The play had been banned, but the court lifted the ban, allowing the school to go ahead with staging the Gen Z-themed play at Lions Junior School on Thursday.

"Other schools are being allowed to train, why are you denying Butere Girls a chance to train? They have been locked inside there like prisoners," Malala was captured on video telling a police officer outside Kirobon Girls High School.

Moments later, live clips broadcast by Citizen TV showed images of teargas and police cars as reporters at the scene took to their heels after the situation escalated.

Citizen TV reported that a number of journalists were hurt in the ensuing melee.

This year's Kenya National Drama and Film Festival, taking place between April 7 and 15, is themed "Leveraging Technology to Nurture Talent While Inculcating Value for Social Prosperity".

The 63rd edition of the annual festival opened to a great start at Melvin Jones International School with the government urging creators to monetise their talent.

Principal Secretary for Basic Education Julius Bitok was the chief guest during the official opening on April 7.

Bitok asked young people to make positive content on social media and steer clear of tendancy to "abuse science and technology" all the time.

Other plays are being staged at Menengai High School.

"Echoes of War" explores contemporary issues like technology, governance and social justice, particularly relevant to Generation Z, and the struggle for young people on civil liberties.

It centers 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.