The International Commission of Jurists – Kenya (ICJ Kenya) has condemned the treatment of Butere Girls High School students during the 2025 Kenya National Drama and Film Festival, calling for accountability for officials involved in suppressing their play ‘Echoes of War.’

In a statement issued on April 10, 2025, the human rights watchdog characterized the actions against the students as a direct affront to freedom of expression, arguing that their play exploring governance and leadership issues was constitutionally protected.

“The actions taken against the students by the Ministry of Education, the Drama and Film Festival Adjudicators, the National Police Service and the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival Secretariat constitute a blatant violation of not only this constitutional right but also Article 43(1)(f), which guarantees the right to education,” ICJ Kenya Chairperson Protas Saende said.

The play, which delves into themes of governance and leadership, had been cleared for performance following a High Court ruling on April 9, 2025.

However, attempts to stage it were met with resistance from festival officials and police, prompting public outcry and legal debate.

In the statement, Saende termed the move a direct affront to freedom of expression, artistic creativity, and academic freedom, urging the Parliamentary Committee on Education to launch a thorough and independent investigation into the conduct of education and security officials involved in the incident.

“This act of censorship is an attack on the voices of the youth, who are among the most vibrant, dynamic, and innovative creators of change in our society today. The government’s actions send a harmful message to young people across the country — that their stories and creativity are not welcome if they challenge the status quo,” the statement read.

The Commission further raised alarm over the deployment of police officers and the use of tear gas at the festival grounds, despite the presence of students and other minors.

“We are further concerned that tear gas was lobbied to disperse the crowds in the presence of Children at the drama festival, which

undermines the rights and protection of a child as enshrined in Article 53 of the Constitution of Kenya and the Children’s Act 2022,” ICJ Kenya said.

Call for action

Among its demands, the jurists urged the Ministry of Education to issue a public apology and called on the Parliamentary Committee on Education to initiate an independent investigation into the conduct of officials involved in the incident.

They also proposed a national dialogue on censorship, warning of a creeping trend of state interference in spaces of free expression.

“No child should be punished for thinking critically or expressing themselves artistically. Kenya must nurture rather than silence its young minds,” the statement added.

ICJ Kenya also expressed solidarity with journalists who were harassed while covering events at the festival, particularly at Kirobon Girls High School in Nakuru County, where a similar incident occurred.

“We fully endorse the statement issued by the Crime Journalists Association of Kenya on the recent harassment of journalists during the Coverage of the events at Kirobon Girls High School in Nakuru County on April 9 2025. We stand in solidarity with all the journalists and join them in demanding for immediate actions from the government to promote free press,” Saende said.