GEN Z PLAY: Court Intervenes On Controversial School Play Forbidden From Drama Festivals
A High Court has ordered the principal of Butere Girls’ High School to recall 50 students and allow them to take part in an upcoming theater festival.
The court ruling comes after the principal was charged with attempting to prevent pupils from staging a contentious play at the national level.
According to court documents, the pupils advanced from the sub-county to the county level in theatrical festivals as a result of their performances, which included the contentious play.
However, after gaining a berth at the national level, the scenario changed when the principal sent the pupils home for the holidays.
According to reports, the institution was replaced with a competing boys’ school in the tournament.
The High Court issues orders compelling the Principal Butere Girls High School to recall 50 drama students and facilitate their participation in the upcoming National Drama Festivals pic.twitter.com/oltJCuxjp9
— RTC News (@RTCNews_Ke) April 3, 2025
The situation sparked outrage, with the school principal coming under pressure, especially since the 50 pupils had paid school fees, which included cash for extracurricular activities.
According to court documents, a gala was conducted on March 29 and 30, and Butere Girls’ — one of the top-performing schools in the drama festivals — was excluded.
The ruling stated, “That Honourable Court be pleased to issue an order compelling the Respondent to facilitate and ensure the 50 students of Butere Girls High School perform the play in its original form at the National level festival as scheduled.”
According to reports, the principal was concerned about the play, Echoes of War, because of its political content.
The play’s plot revolves around the infamous ‘Gen-Z protests’ in June 2024, when thousands of young people took to the streets to openly oppose the government’s proposed Finance Bill.
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Sources suggest the principal was concerned about the implications of performing such a play at the national level, which led to attempts to prevent her students from participating in the national event.
However, the petitioner argued that “the 50 drama students at Butere Girls’ High School will suffer irreparable damages if the Respondent is not compelled to allow them to perform their play in its original form.”
She also pointed out that the manner in which the school sent every student home on March 30 seemed suspicious.
She accused the administration for causing emotional distress and humiliation to the 50 students while denying them the “opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage.”
GEN Z PLAY: Court Intervenes On Controversial School Play Forbidden From Drama Festivals
