Just a week after students from Butere Girls High School were teargassed at the National Drama Festivals in Nakuru, the government has apologised.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV on Wednesday night, Dennis Itumbi, the head of Creative Economy and Presidential Special Projects, took the opportunity to apologise to the girls on behalf of the government.
In his apology, Itumbi not only apologised for the tear gas lobbed at the high schoolers but also for not utilising his capacity to see the play to its end.
"Let me take this opportunity with the full sleeves and honours of the government to apologise to all the girls of Butere Girls for the teargas that was meted out on them. I sincerely apologise," Itumbi stated.
"With my apology comes the full force of the government because I represent a sector of the government for the creative economy. We are not only sorry for the teargas but also for not managing this to the very end. I promise to sit down with my team and come up with remedies for what can be done."
Itumbi further apologised for the girls missing their grand opportunity to stage their Echoes of War play at the national level, an opportunity that they had been working towards.
During the interview, Itumbi emphasised his appreciation for art, acknowledging that he is also a playwright and the girls should just have been allowed to stage their play, blaming the teargassing on overzealous security personnel.
He also refuted claims that the drama patrons and the principal of the school were facing retribution, insisting that those were just social media rumours.
In fact, Itumbi added, the principal who is reportedly being transferred to Wajir as part of her punishment was retiring in two months' time.
"There is absolutely no retribution on the basis of the play. If my facts are correct, the principal at Butere Girls is actually going to retire sometime this year, in two months. She has had a stirring career as a teacher, and we will allow her to finish her call of duty," he stated.
On the evening of Wednesday, April 9, former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, the Echoes of War playwright, was apprehended in a dramatic ambush by police officers when trying to access the girls for rehearsals.
What followed was a national conversation that culminated in the students boycotting the play after they were reportedly not provided the required props, a public address system and also their director, Malala, who was in police custody at the time.
They sang the national anthem and walked off the stage, calling for his release. In the ensuing chaos, they were teargassed by police officers at the scene, igniting a public uproar.
Malala has since announced that he will stage the play with an adult cast and have it filmed and uploaded on YouTube for all.
