Amnesty International has added their voice over the disruption to stage the ‘Echoes of War’ play by Butere Girls.

Butere Girls encountered opposition from police while they were set to perform the play during the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama and Music Festival in Nakuru County.

The human rights body says the police acts are not only shameful but also go against rights that are guaranteed by the constitution.

“Amnesty International Kenya strongly condemns the unlawful police actions on April 9 and 10, 2025, in Nakuru, where officers violently disrupted the performance of Echoes of War by students from Butere Girls High School. Journalists covering the play were assaulted, entry to the performance hall was blocked, and tear gas was indiscriminately used—all pointing to a worrying pattern of state-sponsored repression of free expression, press freedom, and the right to associate.

“What unfolded was not just a shameful abuse of police authority but a direct assault on constitutional freedoms. By targeting a school play performed by children, the state is criminalizing creativity and turning cultural spaces into zones of fear and censorship. This brazen attack undermines children’s right to participate in society through art—a right enshrined in both Kenyan law and international human rights standards,” Amnesty International said in a statement.

It also laid down demands and asked the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to start an investigation into the conduct of the police officers involved.

“We demand an immediate end to the harassment, intimidation, and censorship directed at the students, teachers, and creatives behind the play and call for the unconditional release of thespian Cleophas Malala, who has been arbitrarily detained.

“We further urge the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to initiate prompt and transparent investigations into the conduct of all police officers and their commanding officers involved in these incidents, with a view to holding them accountable for violating the policing code of conduct and the Constitution,” it added.

Amnesty International further said that the freedom of children to explore social realities through art must not be up for negotiation.

“The Children Act 2022 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child affirm the right of every child to freely express themselves—including through artistic performance. The government must honor its obligations under these laws and protect the right of all children to participate in cultural life without fear of censorship, intimidation, or violence.

“We call on the state to reverse any attempts to prohibit such performances now or in the future. Silence is not safety—children must be free to speak, perform, and imagine a different world without the threat of state violence,” it concluded.