TO SILENCE THE ARTS IS TO SILENCE A GENERATION-ABEL MUTUA

Actor and content creator Abel Mutua has spoken out against the government’s heavy response to Butere Girls High School’s play, Echoes of War, which drew criticism from authorities. 

Mutua, a celebrated alumnus of the Kenya National Drama Festival, took to social media to state, “I am a product of the Kenya National Drama Festival. That stage gave me a voice, a dream, and a sense of identity. Where would I be if the government of the time had chosen suppression over support? An attack on the arts is not just an attack on expression; it is an attack on the moral and creative fabric of our society. To silence the arts is to silence a generation.”

His sentiments were echoed by journalist and actress Janet Mbugua, who shared his post and added: “I’m a journalist, but I’m also a mother. And what happened to the students of Butere Girls is beyond outrageous. Tear-gassing schoolgirls because of a play? Arresting their playwright? Inflicting fear and chaos on children for daring to tell the truth through art? This is not just an attack on students, it’s an assault on creativity, free expression, and the right to feel safe in school. Silencing young voices won’t erase the truth. It only deepens the wound. We must speak up. For the girls. For the future. For justice.”

The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with artists, activists, and civil society groups condemning the government’s actions as an alarming crackdown on freedom of expression. Reports indicate that police used tear gas to disperse students and arrested the play’s writer.