The High Court has issued orders compelling Butere Girls High School Principal Jennipher Omondi to recall 50 drama students and facilitate their participation in the National Drama Festivals.
The festivals are scheduled to take place from April 7 to April 15, 2025, in Nakuru County.
Justice Wilfridah Okwany issued the directive following the principal’s decision to send the students home, allegedly after receiving a call from State House.
Last week, Echoes of War was removed from the Western Regional winners’ gala. The drama club was also directed to send its members home by Monday, effectively halting their preparations for the National Drama Festival in Nakuru.
According to court documents, the students had advanced from the sub-county to the county level through their performances, including the controversial play.
However, after securing a spot at the national level, the situation took a turn when the principal sent the students home for the school holidays. Reports suggested that the school was replaced by a rival boys’ school in the region.
Chief Principal Jennifer Omondi released the drama students and stated that she had received a call from State House directing that the play Echoes of War should not participate in the National Drama Festivals.
The play highlights the plight of young generations across the globe. According to the principal, the play would embarrass a senior State House official who is an old girl of the institution.
This happened despite the play emerging as the best at the Butere Sub-County level, the Kakamega County Schools Drama Festivals and the Western Regional Drama Festivals.
The school had been scheduled to represent the region in Nakuru. However, it was replaced by Vihiga High School, which had ranked eighth during the regional drama festivals.
Court orders Butere Girls to recall drama students
Anifa Mango, a thespian and former student of Butere Girls High School from Kisii County, filed the petition challenging the decision.
Acting for the petitioner, lawyer Ken Echesa argued that Omondi’s decision was arbitrary, illegal, unconstitutional and violated the students’ rights to freedom of speech, expression and fair administrative action.
Echesa argued that the principal could not act on alleged directives from State House without a lawful basis.
He further argued that neither State House nor the Ministry of Education had the legal power to stop the play after adjudicators had approved it at the sub-county, county and regional levels.
Mango asked the court to order the school to retain or recall all 50 students participating in the drama festivals.
“That the Honourable Court be pleased to issue an order that the Respondent retain in school and/or recall all 50 students participating in drama festivals for their participation in the National Drama Festivals scheduled for 7th April 2025 to 15th April 2025 in Nakuru County,” said Mango.
Echesa also urged the court to intervene before the students were excluded from the national competition.
“Unless this Honourable Court intervenes and hears the matter urgently, the Respondent will proceed to illegally exclude the 50 students of Butere Girls High School from performing at the Drama Festival, which opportunity they earned fair and square through their dedication and hard work,” Echesa argued.
Butere Girls drama faces previous controversy
This is not the first time Butere Girls has faced controversy over its artistic expression.
In 2013, the school’s play Shackles of Doom was initially barred from the National Drama Festival by the Ministry of Education.
The ministry claimed that the play depicted imaginary inequality and could incite public unrest.
However, the intervention of the late Justice David Majanja allowed the students to perform, setting a precedent for artistic freedom in school drama festivals.
The High Court’s latest orders now pave the way for the 50 Butere Girls students to participate in the National Drama Festivals in Nakuru County.
