Itumbi apologises to Butere Girls, says ban on Echoes of War 'unnecessary'

Head of Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy Dennis Itumbi has apologised to Butere Girls High School drama students following police action against them, after they declined to perform their play, Echoes of War, at the national drama festivals in Nakuru.

Itumbi also criticised the decision to bar the school from staging the play, describing the move “absolutely unnecessary.”

Speaking on Citizen TV on Wednesday night, Itumbi distanced himself from the decision and said that not all government officials shared the same position.

“Let me take this with the full honor of government and apologise to all the girls of Butere Girls who must be watching this conversation—for the teargas that was meted out on them. I sincerely apologise to you, and with my apology comes the full force of government, because I represent that sector of government—the creative economy,” said Itumbi.

While defending the students' right to perform, Itumbi acknowledged the government’s role in regulating the festival, which is fully state-funded.

“We are not only sorry for the teargas, but for not managing this to the end. But, there is no retribution on the teachers.” 

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“To be fair, the government has a point in making rules,” he said.

He also commented on Teachers Service Commission (TSC) regulations, which require that only registered teachers write scripts for school drama festivals. He admitted that, despite not being a teacher, he had previously participated in productions, purely by passion, though technically against the rules.

“I’m not a teacher, just like Malala—we perform these plays out of passion, albeit illegally,” he said, referring to former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, who scripted Echoes of War.

The controversy surrounding the play escalated after Butere Girls opted not to perform—a decision Itumbi clarified was made by the students, not by festival adjudicators.