Police arrested former Senator Cleophas Malala when he tried to help Butere Girls High School students practice their play "Echoes of War." The play talks about technology, how governments work, and fighting for what's right - stuff that matters to young people today.
The story takes place in a country healing after a war. Young people lead efforts to rebuild their nation. It also looks at how online spaces affect government and how youth can change society.
A video shows Malala arguing with police officers outside Kirobon Girls High School in Nakuru. This school hosts part of the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama Festival. Other schools put on plays at Melvin Jones International School and Menengai High School.
Officials had stopped Butere Girls from doing their play because it criticized the government. But on April 3, Justice Wilfrida Okwany canceled that ban. Malala told police he was just following the court's decision.
"The High Court says I can direct the play. They perform tomorrow morning. Why are you arresting me for writing a play?" Malala asked the officer. "Nobody can scare me. I'll write what I want and think how I want."
Malala warned the police they'd be breaking the law if they arrested him against the court order. He complained that other schools could practice, but Butere Girls couldn't. "They locked those girls up like prisoners," he said.
Later, Malala sat in a car and kept asking what he did wrong. "You brought 50 officers to arrest me. What crime did I commit? Writing a play?"
The Kenya National Drama and Film Festival runs from April 7 to 15. Its theme focuses on using technology to develop talent and teach good values. Malala also created another controversial play, "Shackles of Doom," back in 2013. Education officials banned it at first, but courts let it proceed.
The story takes place in a country healing after a war. Young people lead efforts to rebuild their nation. It also looks at how online spaces affect government and how youth can change society.
A video shows Malala arguing with police officers outside Kirobon Girls High School in Nakuru. This school hosts part of the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama Festival. Other schools put on plays at Melvin Jones International School and Menengai High School.
Officials had stopped Butere Girls from doing their play because it criticized the government. But on April 3, Justice Wilfrida Okwany canceled that ban. Malala told police he was just following the court's decision.
"The High Court says I can direct the play. They perform tomorrow morning. Why are you arresting me for writing a play?" Malala asked the officer. "Nobody can scare me. I'll write what I want and think how I want."
Malala warned the police they'd be breaking the law if they arrested him against the court order. He complained that other schools could practice, but Butere Girls couldn't. "They locked those girls up like prisoners," he said.
Later, Malala sat in a car and kept asking what he did wrong. "You brought 50 officers to arrest me. What crime did I commit? Writing a play?"
The Kenya National Drama and Film Festival runs from April 7 to 15. Its theme focuses on using technology to develop talent and teach good values. Malala also created another controversial play, "Shackles of Doom," back in 2013. Education officials banned it at first, but courts let it proceed.
