Malala denies altering 'Echoes of War' script amid drama festival controversy

Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV on Sunday night, Malala termed the allegations insincere, noting that the play had successfully gone through several levels of approval—including sub-county, county, and regional competitions—without objection.

“The script was vetted and approved by adjudicators appointed by the Ministry of Education at every stage,” Malala said. “It is dishonest to claim the script was altered when it passed through multiple hands and was consistently praised.”

Malala explained that Echoes of War was inspired by the Gen-Z-led anti-tax protests that took place in June 2024. He emphasized that his creative work is driven by societal events, not political motives.

“I began conceptualizing the play right after the Gen Z demonstrations,” he said. “I don’t write based on my personal views or to push political agendas. My plays are a reflection of the issues affecting our society.”

Addressing the specific allegations of script tampering, Malala said any minor changes were made based on recommendations from adjudicators and were aimed at improving clarity for the student performers.

“I committed to giving the cast a complete script with minimal adjustments,” he said. “We had nine Ministry-appointed adjudicators who approved it as a strong script. So, at what point did they begin seeing a problem?”

Malala added that his legal team is in the process of seeking compensation for the students involved and is also pushing for the play to be staged before a live audience to offer the cast closure.

“We want the girls to perform Echoes of War—to any audience,” he said. “They deserve that opportunity after all they’ve been through.”

He also criticized the Ministry of Education’s assertion that involving non-teachers in co-curricular training, such as drama, violates the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Act of 2018. According to Malala, such a position undermines the role of professionals in the creative industry

“Most people in the arts are not teachers,” he said. “It’s unrealistic for the Ministry to expect every professional involved in training students in drama to be a registered teacher. That approach stifles creativity and talent development.”