History judges harshly those who try to crush freedom of expression in children. The scenes from
Butere High School this week were appalling. The poet in Pheroze Nowrejee, who died recently,
would have been incensed. I also suspect, he would also have been deeply proud of the girls’
principled stand.
“Echoes of war” was a little-known play before the Butere High School Principal was instructed to
stop her students from submitting it for this year’s Kenya Schools and Drama Festival. Set in the
fictitious Velvet Emirates, Gen Z find their attempts to rescue a war-torn and divided kingdom
thwarted at every turn by the older generation. The play powerfully adapts artistry, songs and
music from last year’s Gen Z protests.
If the attempt was to suppress the play’s message, it utterly backfired. A set of clumsy and then
violent authoritarian actions has increased public interest ten-fold. According to court
proceedings, the play was adjudicated and approved to participate at sub-county, county and
regional levels only for the School Principal to abruptly close the entire school of 1,642 students
to deny 50 actors the opportunity to rehearse and perform.
At this point, a ten-year old injustice, dramatically boomeranged. Anifa Mango, an alumni student-
actor who had experienced the power of the High Court in stopping censorship of the “Shackles
of Doom” play in 2013 swung into action. The former student, now a millennial advocate marched
to court and secured court orders that the school be reopened, the Principal ignore external
pressure and the students perform the play in its original form.
In a colossal overreach of state power, scores of police officers (curiously many brought in from
Nairobi) teargassed children, assaulted journalists and arrested playwright and former Senator
Cleophas Malala in violation of the court order. The festival organisers then scheduled the play to
a time there was likely to be no audience.
What the secondary students did next will inspire several generations of artists. Rather than
perform without their playwright, the actors stood together to sing the national anthem. One
student stepped forward to announce “Butere girls will stand strong, the message of Echoes of
War shall find another platform. God bless Kenya,” and then, they all exited, stage left.
The significance of a Millennial protecting Alphas inspired by Gen Z activism would not have been
lost on Pheroze Nowrejee. Pheroze (84) died this week on a visit to America. The author-poet
and senior counsel impacted on four generations of friends, lawyers, judicial officers, human rights
defenders, journalists, community organisers, medics, politicians among others. Their tributes
online sketch a life boldly lived and wisdom generously shared.
Third generation Indian Kenyan and Yale University trained, Pheroze believed advocates must
challenge misgovernance, corruption and impunity. Regardless of the topic, his arguments were
consistently morally anchored in constitutional and rule of law principles. While he represented
the powerful and vulnerable with equal professionalism, he strongly believed victims of injustice
deserved his time most.
In one of our very first encounters, he patiently listened to the 26-year-old Irungu speak of the
power of politics and politicians. He then interrupted to say very deliberately, “Politics is not a
profession. Seek a profession and then bring progressive politics to that space.” An irrepressible
optimist, intense conversations with Pheroze often left me and many others with a renewed sense
of clarity and agency.
In death, Pheroze Nowrejee’s stature will elevate in contrast to his humility in life. His legacy will
endure through the lives he touched, the jurisprudence he influenced, the causes he championed,
and the books he authored.
His life’s mission lives on also, in the legal activism of Advocate Anifa Mango and the courage of
those Butere girls. With their shouts of “We are just children, and we demand our rights. Let us
speak how we feel about our country”, our constitution just found another generation to defend it.
It is worth remembering this too, as he is cremated today in Arlington, Virginia.
Rest in Power Pheroze Nowrejee.
Irũngũ Houghton is Amnesty International Kenya Executive Director and writes in his personal
capacity. Email: [email protected]