Githunguri Member of Parliament (MP) Gathoni wa Muchomba has fired at the government over what she described as an appalling act of state brutality after police teargassed Butere Girls’ students after chaos that erupted during the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama and Music Festival in Nakuru over their fictional play ‘Echoes of War’.

In a serious tone, Wamuchomba vehemently condemned the teargassing of the students stating that the act is a direct assault on the country’s values of democracy. 

She went on to state that unleashing teargas on minors for expressing their artistic truth is an unforgivable violation of rights.  

“We vehemently condemn the reprehensible use of teargas on students from Butere Girls’ High School during a drama festivals, this is an appalling act of state brutality, and a direct assault on the values of democracy that we have fought for many years and human dignity. 

“To unleash chemicals on innocent school girls for simply expressing artistic truth is an unforgivable violation of rights and a fraud to freedom of expression in this country,” Wamuchomba said. 

While emphasizing that the incident is an act of repression and an attack on the country’s moral integrity, the MP explained that the police attack on the students is a violation of their rights as minors. 

“This attack occurred while the students were performing a politically charged piece rightfully so as a right of their expression on their conscience and engagement of civic issues happening in this country; instead of fostering an environment for dialogue they were met with violence causing panic, distress and among this remember these are vulnerable members of our society because they are minors,” the legislator added. 

She demanded that all officers involved in the incident should be held accountable in accordance with the law, insisting that the measure of democracy lies in a country capacity to protect children. 

“The actions to consciously use teargas on children is a violation of their basic rights and an unforgivable betrayal of our shared values as a nation, we therefore call for immediate accountability. 

“Those responsible for this disgraceful act must face justice, silence in the face of this atrocities is a sign of complicity and we cannot afford to remain passive when this extreme violations are happening to our children. Kenya must choose between tyranny and liberty,” Wamuchomba said. 

Butere Girls’ incident

Wamuchomba’s remarks come after chaos witnessed at Melvin Jones International School in Nakuru where the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama and Music Festival were being held. 

The students from Butere Girls’ had refused to perform their play saying their decision to exit the stage was not sudden. 

Expressing their frustration, the agitated students noted that their conclusive decision was due to the series of frustrations in the moments leading up to the performance. 

They also decried police harassment and added that they were denied proper stage set up, sound systems, decor and support. 

“We were harassed by the police. We went to the stage with nothing — no sound, no decor, nothing. So we sang the National Anthem and left,” one of the students said. 

As the frustrations grew bigger and the patience to endure grew thinner, the students began demanding the whereabouts of Malala, their play director, before leaving the stage and venue. 

“We want our director. We are not performing without our director. Where is Mr. Cleophas? We want him. We are not going back to Butere,” the students declared.

As they left the venue, police officers lobbed teargas canisters at them, leaving some choking from the smoke.