Echoes of War: Rachel Ruto’s Butere Girls Speech Resurfaces After Drama Controversy
A resurfaced speech by First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto has sparked conversation—not for what was said, but for when and where it was said.
In June 2024, during the launch of the Jitume Digital Hub at Butere Girls’ High School, Mama Rachel Ruto praised the government’s digital agenda, hailing the initiative as a gateway to innovation, creative expression, and opportunity.
The hub, she noted, would empower students with digital skills, connect over 28,000 users, and offer thousands of courses aimed at preparing youth for the future of work.
She went further to speak of internet hotspots that would support innovators, film producers, and enhance access to government services. Her message was clear: Kenya is ready to embrace creativity and technology.
Yet, just months later, Butere Girls’ own attempt to contribute to Kenya’s creative economy—through the powerful drama Echoes of War by Cleophas Malala—was met not with encouragement, but with restriction. The school, having qualified to perform at the national level, was reportedly denied a conducive platform. In protest, the students walked off the stage.
The irony is stark.
On the one hand, the First Lady, a proud alumnus of Butere Girls’, lauded efforts to empower youth and promote innovation. On the other, the very institution she celebrated was allegedly stifled when it attempted to exercise that creative freedom through the arts.
Echoes of War—a dramatic performance with a socially relevant message—could have stood as a model of the kind of storytelling and artistic innovation the digital hub aims to support. Instead, its performance was overshadowed by a lack of institutional support, casting doubt on how committed the system truly is to nurturing talent, especially when the message is uncomfortable.
“We must be agile to seize emerging opportunities,” Mama Rachel said in her speech. “We live in the era of generative artificial intelligence where technology enables our work and spurs efficiency.”
Indeed. But for the Butere Girls drama team, the message seems to be that some creativity is more welcome than others.
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Echoes of War: Rachel Ruto’s Butere Girls Speech Resurfaces After Drama Controversy
