Parents and residents of Butere Girls High School in Kakamega County are angry and heartbroken after their daughters were treated badly at the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival in Nakuru County.
The students were stopped from performing their play, Echoes of Wars, even after the High Court had allowed them to participate.
One parent shared her pain, saying, “It was heartbreaking. My daughter called me, crying. They were taken to the venue and treated like criminals. She was scared.
It was her first time seeing so much chaos, violence, and security officers. The play is not worth risking children’s lives. Where is our freedom?”
According to parents led by Gladys Maende, what happened was unfair and frightening. They said the students’ rights and safety were ignored.
The girls had travelled all the way from Kakamega to Nakuru after a court allowed them to perform. But when they got there, they were not allowed to enter the venue.
Instead, they were held away from the festival site under heavy security for several hours.
The parents said this treatment was humiliating and wrong. They are now asking the government to take responsibility.
They want President William Ruto to step in and stop the unfair treatment of the students. They are also asking the Ministry of Education to explain why the girls were stopped, even after the court’s decision.
The community feels that this situation shows a lack of respect for children’s rights and for the justice system.
They believe young people should be encouraged to express themselves through art, not punished for it.
Parents fear that such actions can damage their children emotionally and discourage them from speaking out or being creative.
