The Kenya National High School drama competition was cast shadow by its own drama after police fired tear gas and dispersed crowds gathered to watch the controversial play.
The War of Echo is set in a fictional kingdom where young people lost faith in their leaders.
It features a fight with police, drawing parallels with last year’s protests by young people over tax rises.
Initially, they were disqualified from the Drama Festival under uncertain circumstances, but a High Court decision overturned the decision and ordered it to be included.
Tensions erupted in the western town of Nakuru on Thursday morning, with student performers flying out of the venue and demanding the release of Clefas Malala, the author of the play, who was in police custody.
The screenwriter and former senator who wrote a production for a student at Butare Girls High School was blocked by police from meeting the young performer for a final rehearsal on Wednesday evening.
Malala was later released for free and praised the students for boycotting the play.
“The young girl from Boutire Girls has exercised a heroic act of recovery. I am determined to ensure that an echo of the war will be shown before the Kenyan audience,” Malala said shortly after her release.
Students temporarily sang the National Anthem before dramatically leaving the hall sealed by anti-riot police, armed with batons and canned tear gas.
“We don’t have an audience. Who are we playing for?” one of the girls told the journalist.
They also complained about police harassment.
Following news of Malala’s arrest, a large crowd gathered outside the venue and wanted to watch the play.
However, opposition police had been unfolding overnight in cases of trouble, and fired tear gas to disperse viewers.
Education Minister Julius Ogamba questioned Malala’s involvement in the competition, saying that politicians are neither teachers nor theater directors.
“Why should politicians be screenwriters for student performances? If teachers don’t allow them to become screenwriters, competition will be worthless,” said Home Minister Kipchumba Malkomen, who warned politicians against using politicians to resolve political scores.
“Let’s put a thick line between politics and education,” he added.
The line has sparked public uproars, and rights group Amnesty International said it “denotes a worrying pattern of oppression of free expression, freedom of the press and state support for related rights.”
Secretary Martha Coomb said Malala’s detention violated a court order that the play and its authors would be allowed to participate in the competition.
“The rebellion of court orders not only undermine the authority of the courts, but poses a serious threat to the rule of law, the foundation of our society,” she added.
Prominent opposition figure Karonzo Mudjoka accused police of firing tear gas near a student and praised him for refusing to play the “brave” girl.
In a statement, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of the Opposition requested that students be allowed to play in the same way as all other competitors.
The fictional kingdom of war theatre echoes is similar to what is happening now in Kenya, ruled by the tyrannical sultans who are troubled by the activities of young people, and where young people demand better governance.
It is not clear whether the play will be disqualified. As a result, the President will not reach the final held at State House with the presence of the President.
The annual high school drama competition is extremely popular in Kenya, and students often use the theatre as a tool to challenge those in power.
This is not the first time one of the plays has angered the authorities.
In 2013, Malala made headlines with the fateful bondage of his controversial play.
The play, also performed by Butaire Girls High School, was banned by the government before the High Court opposed the ban and allowed the play to be performed.
At the time, Malala said that Doom’s bondage portrayed Kenya’s highly ethnic politics, and that he had contributed to the unequal distribution of the country’s resources.
The senator who wrote dozens of other plays was kicked out of control of the United Democratic Union (UDA) in August last year, following an internal party fight.
He later dropped out with President William Root.
Additional Reports by Will Ross of London
