Parliament on Thursday became a battlefield of political factions that took advantage of the Butere Girls spectacle to flex a semblance of ideological muscle.

This played out as legislators allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua condemned the attack on the school’s drama team terming it an affront to free expression while their opponents, loyal to President William Ruto castigated politicians for trying to weaponize drama in schools.

Ruling party United Democratic Alliance (UDA)’s former secretary general Cleophas Malala, the author of the controversial play, faced heavy criticism from the  government side  for allegedly of using students to fight a political war with President  Ruto.

But led by Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, the Gachagua-allied faction called for an immediate arrest of the perpetrators of the act which they said was an assault on the values of democracy and human dignity.

“I call for immediate accountability. Those responsible for this disgraceful act must face justice,” Wamuchomba said.

She was supported by Tetu MP Geoffrey Wandeto and Kiambu Senator Karungú Thangwa.  

Speaking during a press conference within the precincts of Parliament, the legislators further hit out at the government, terming the actions of its security forces draconian and unconscionable.

“This further cements the ongoing negative credentials of a government that is intolerant to its critics,”  Wandeto said. 

Thangwa regretted that Malala was currently engulfed in woes for speaking the truth.

“People seeking accountability and criticizing the government are the ones being harassed,” Thangwa said.

The matter also come up on the floor of the National Assembly where a section of MPs called on investigative agencies to get to the bottom of how Malala ended up being the author of the “Echoes of War” play.

This, after Butere MP Tindi Mwale  requested for a statement from the Departmental Committee on Internal Security, regarding the National Police Service disruption of the performance in Nakuru.

“Mr Speaker, I would like to demand for a statement from the chairperson of the departmental committee on security regarding the disruption of echoes of war performed by Butere Girls Secondary,” said Mwale.