Former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala inside a vehicle, April 9, 2025. /SCREENGRABFormer Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala claims he has been arrested by the DCI as he prepared Butere Girls High School learners for Thursday's presentation of their play titled Echoes of War.
The play explores contemporary issues like technology, governance and social justice, particularly relevant to Gen Z, and the struggle for young people on civil liberties.
It centers on a nation recovering from a civil war, with young citizens at the forefront of rebuilding efforts and critiques the role of digital spaces in governance and the power of youth in shaping societal change.
In a video clip seen by the Star, the former UDA Secretary General is seen in a stand-off with police officers led by a man he said was the Nakuru area DCIO outside Kirobon Girls High School in Nakuru's Rongai subcounty.
The school is one of the institutions hosting the Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama and Music Festival.
Plays are also being staged at Melvin Jones International School and Menengai High School.
Butere Girls had been banned from staging their Gen Z-themed play on grounds that its theme critiques the government.
The court, however, lifted the ban on April 3 when Justice Wilfrida Okwany suspended any letter banning or barring the school from participating in the festival.
Malala said he was acting in accordance with the court order.
"The High Court has allowed me to direct the play. They are performing tomorrow morning. Why are you arresting men? Are you arresting me for scripting a play?" he asked the officer.
"I cannot be intimidated; I will write what I want, I will think the way I want, nobody can censor me."
Malala said the DCI would be personally liable for defying the court order by arresting him.
"Other schools are being allowed to train, why are you denying Butere Girls a chance to train? They have been locked inside there like prisoners," he said.
"We have agreed they are going on stage tomorrow morning; you don't want them to be trained."
In a different clip, Malala is seen inside a vehicle, from where he continued to lament about being subjected to injustice for implementing a court order.
"You came to arrest me with 50 officers. what offence have I committed? Writing a play?" he asks repeatedly.
This year's Kenya National Drama and Film Festival, taking place between April 7 and 15, is themed "Leveraging Technology to Nurture Talent While Inculcating Value for Social Prosperity".
Malala was the brains behind another school play titled "Shackles of Doom" in 2013.
The play was initially banned by the Ministry of Education but went on to be staged during that year's drama festivals following court intervention.
