Gachagua condemns fracas meted on Cleophas Malala over satirical play

Nakuru journalists who were covering the confrontation were teargassed by police. [Julius Kipsang, Standard]

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has criticised what he described as a misuse of state power, following an incident in Nakuru where security officers allegedly attempted to arrest former UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala.

The attempted arrest, which occurred as Malala was preparing students from Butere Girls High School for their performance at the National Drama Festival, has sparked outrage, particularly over the reported deployment of a contingent of police officers.

In a statement shared via his social media accounts, Gachagua decried the move as a dangerous escalation in the suppression of artistic expression and civic critique.

"It is a shame of unimaginable proportion that dozens of DCI detectives in five vehicles have been dispatched to arrest and intimidate Senator Cleophas Malala for writing a script that has won its way to the National Drama Festival in Nakuru," Gachagua said.

Some of the police officers who were engaging Cleophas Malala from his car. [Julis Kipsang, Standard]

He added that the play in question, Echoes of War, is a satirical piece and poses no threat beyond its literary message.

According to Gachagua, targeting Malala for his work constitutes an abuse of the criminal justice system and a blatant attempt to silence dissent.

"The satirical play, Echoes of War, is innocent in itself in the literary universe, just to explain to those who feel threatened. In any case, the detectives will harass the messenger, but the message remains," he stated.

Gachagua urged the government to value rather than vilify artistic voices, noting that creativity and satire are vital tools in holding leadership to account.

Malala earlier claimed that he had been briefly detained by DCI officers as he prepared the students for Thursday's stage performance.