State House operative Dennis Itumbi last night agreed on live television that the State erred in stoping Butere Girls’ High School thespians from performing the play Echoes of War.
https://youtu.be/xPxnjK2Ukfo?si=N7HnTrElqkErVTTZ
Itumbi who is an ardent participant in the National Drama Festivals also admitted that just like the playwright Cleophas Malala he has been contributing to scriptwriting out of passion and not because it’s allowed by the Teachers Service Commission regulations.
“According to the TSC regulations 2025, trainers of the Kenya National Drama festival items must be teachers and tutors registered by the TSC or lecturers from a registered post-secondary institution. I’m not a teacher, just like Malala; we do this out of passion, even if it’s technically against the rules,” Itumbi said.
Dennis Itumbi, who leads the Presidential Special Projects and Creative Economy, has voiced his disapproval even as his boss President Ruto maintained in a statement last night that the State will not allow people with ulterior motives to manipulate innocent children into performing plays with distasteful political messages.
“I’m among those who think it was completely unnecessary to stop the girls from performing.” he noted.
That said, Itumbi did recognize the government’s involvement in the Drama festivals, which are fully funded by the State. This funding naturally gives the government some say over the content presented. “These festivals are entirely funded by the Government of Kenya. To be fair, the government has a point in setting rules,” he acknowledged.
Itumbi clarified that the adjudicators didn’t stop them; the students decided not to go on stage.
‘Echoes of War’ has sparked a national conversation due to its theme of Gen Z challenging an authoritarian regime. The play was written and directed by former UDA Secretary General turned Ruto’s critic, Cleophas Malala.
Dennis Itumbi is an accomplished digital strategist whose acknowledgement that the government goofed in harassing Butere Girls can be construed as rapid response attempts to mend the damage.
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