Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has finally come to the defence of a 2013 tweet in which he lambasted the State for banning a Butere Girls’ play titled ‘Shackles of Doom’, asserting that his words should not be misconstrued, as he was merely offering commentary prompted by the public attention the play’s script had attracted.

Speaking in Tana River on Friday, April 11, 2025, Murkomen contended that what people often overlook is that he issued the tweet while already serving in government, not as an outsider, and that his tone at the time did not explicitly suggest he was condemning the decision to prohibit the performance.

He insisted that he has since seen people interpreting his old tweet to mean that he is now shifting tune simply because he is a senior government leader and argued that his recent remarks about the 2025 Butere Girls’ play were made solely because it had attracted publicity for wrongly broadcasting politics.

“I saw some people sharing what I tweeted in 2013 and remember that I was in government at that time. These people were in opposition, so it was not an issue, and what I said was that the script had received publicity; it can be discussed, and this one has also received publicity but in the wrong way—by just broadcasting politics.”

Murkomen added that he may not have made the recent remarks he did over the Butere Girls’ 2025 ‘Echoes of War’ stage play if the script had gained publicity because it exposed the evils the country was facing or such, further reiterating that the spotlight the play had received was due to its political undertone.

“But if it was just publicity about the evils or the challenges we have in our country, I would not have any issue.”

Threats

Further, Murkomen laughed off claims that the government feels threatened by the play and that it was the reason they had banned it, saying people should walk away from such beliefs because President William Ruto or any other government leader cannot be threatened.

On that, he labelled the play as one that had been performed by children and wondered why anyone would think such a small matter could cause them to shrink in their chairs.

“I don’t think William Ruto or any government official is going to be threatened by a play. No, of course not. I saw people saying that. Threatened by what? We have faced so many other political issues. We have faced more serious security issues to be threatened by a play by young people.”

Nonetheless, he reiterated that the government’s stance was not about censorship but rather about urging politicians to refrain from manipulating young minds into opposing the State, adding that criticism from young people is valid, provided it is authentic and uninfluenced.

“The thing is, we are insisting that politicians give way and allow our children to criticise us. We have no problem. Allow them to also explore ways of communication that are going to help them grow to be responsible citizens. So we do not fear criticism.”

2013 tweet

In 2013, when Shackles of Doom, a play directed by former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala for Butere Girls, was banned from the Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival, Murkomen, then a newly elected senator for Elgeyo-Marakwet, was a vocal critic of the censorship.

“I wish the much-publicised ‘Shackles of Doom’ were staged here at State House Mombasa. What was wrong with the Butere Girls’ Shackles of Doom? They have enjoyed the best advertisement, and they should reap from it,” Murkomen stated on his X account on two separate occasions in 2013.

However, in contrast to his earlier stance, Murkomen on April 10, 2025, came out in defence of the government’s actions to ban the 2025 play by the same school, framing the ban as a necessary measure to protect learners from political manipulation.

“We are mandated to safeguard the freedom of expression for all Kenyans, and we would not want insecurity to be pushed into the wellbeing of our children,” he said during a press briefing on Thursday, 10 April 2025.

“We also should allow our children to be educated in all forms, but we have the responsibility as government and parents to ensure that they are not at the centre of politics,” he added.

Taking what many have interpreted as a veiled swipe at Malala—whose relationship with the ruling coalition has soured since his ousting as UDA Secretary General—Murkomen continued:

“It has come to a point that a politician is now the headteacher directing students on drama and using them to politically get back at the government.”

He further cautioned against the politicisation of schools, insisting that teachers are better positioned to shape learners’ perspectives on civic matters.

According to the Interior CS, educators possess the discretion and professional insight necessary to frame discussions about governance in ways that uphold moral instruction and developmental appropriateness.

“I want to urge us politicians to leave schools for teachers. Teachers know the boundaries when engaging the learners. They know the right language while criticising the government, and they are the only ones to direct our children on morals,” he concluded.