Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka has condemned the police for lobbing teargas at Butere Girls’ students.

The students were set to stage a play, ‘Echoes of War,’ during the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama and Music Festival, but they faced off with the state agents on Thursday, April 10, 2025.

The acts by police cannot be justified, Kalonzo said as he also hailed the students for their bravery.

“What a national shame! How does this regime justify lobbing teargas at young girls from Butere Girls who declined to stage their play ‘Echoes of War’ at the National Drama Festival?

“Their bravery serves as a national wake-up call. When voices of truth are silenced and art is censored, democracy suffers,” Kalonzo said in a statement on X on Thursday, April 10, 2025.

While condemning the arrest of former Kakamega County Senator Cleophas Malalah, the scriptwriter of the ‘Echoes of War’, Kalonzo also questioned why the Ministry of Education and State House remain silent.

“I stand with Butere Girls and all students who joined the walkout in solidarity. Kenya must remain a country where even the echoes of war are heard — and heeded.

“The silence from State House, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Interior is absolutely telling.

“Arresting their scriptwriter @Cleophasmalala, whose only crime was to exercise his rights guaranteed under Article 33 of our Constitution, only confirms the fear our leaders have of truth. Art is not a crime,” he added.

The opposition figure added that the ‘No Butere, No Drama’ and ‘Ruto Must Go’ chants are the voices of a generation fed up with repression, abductions, and killings.

“Kenya, are we listening?” he asked.