Learners turn stage into nation's mirror, expose social cracks

Deep social challenges facing families and schools took centre stage during the Kenya National Drama and Film Festival at Kagumo Teachers Training College.

Students used theatre, dance and storytelling to confront issues ranging from parental negligence and emotional neglect to educational inequality and the growing influence of technology on young people.

The performances offered a powerful reflection of struggles many learners face both at home and in school, highlighting widening disparities between well-equipped national schools and under-resourced institutions, strained family relationships, and increasing pressure on teachers to fill parenting gaps.

One of the most striking performances came from Precious Blood Riruta with a play titled The Letter Box, which explored the emotional consequences of parental neglect and children’s desperate search for affection.

The play follows Hannah, a young girl battling loneliness and emotional abandonment despite growing up in a financially stable home. Through a heartbreaking suicide note, Hannah confronts her mother over years of emotional absence. “Mother, I am in pain. I lie in this hospital bed as a consequence of an absentee mother. Your emotional absence pushed me to attempt suicide,” she writes.

Hannah’s mother is portrayed as a career-driven professional focused on material provision while neglecting emotional care.

Another character, Clara, highlights contrasting realities. Her mother works as a driver for Hannah’s family, yet both girls experience neglect in different forms.

The performance resonated strongly with audiences, exposing a reality where financial success often replaces emotional connection.

Teachers in the play expressed frustration at being forced to assume parental roles beyond their professional responsibilities. “I am doing my best to put a smile on your child’s face,” one teacher says, underscoring the emotional burden educators carry.

Hannah eventually finds comfort writing letters to a symbolic “letter box,” which becomes her emotional refuge. The play ends with a strong appeal for parents to remain emotionally present in their children’s lives.

Emusire High School staged a French play titled Résumé, produced by Benson Oranga, addressing inequality caused by poverty. The play tells the story of students excluded from a school trip because their families cannot afford it.

Desperate to join their classmates, Bernard seeks help from religious leaders and moneylenders, only to face exploitation. The matter ends in court, where a judge rules against the lender. “The law will not allow exploitation of vulnerable families,” the judge declares, ordering a refund that enables all students to participate.

The play emphasised that education should unite learners rather than deepen social divisions.

Flamingo Senior School presented a cultural dance titled 3D, exploring technology’s influence on youth culture. The story follows Tito, a boy longing for a fashionable 3D T-shirt trending online. After his father refuses to buy it, Tito earns money through digital opportunities and purchases it himself.

The performance illustrated how technology, supported by solar-powered innovation in remote areas, is opening new pathways for creativity and employment among young people.

Sosit Girls Senior High School presented The Winning Project, highlighting inequality within Kenya’s education system. The play centres on Isabella, the daughter of a boda boda rider and a vegetable vendor, studying in a poorly resourced school, competing against elite institutions.

Despite limited facilities and few co-curricular opportunities, Isabella and her classmates strive to innovate. Social tensions and jealousy lead to the destruction of a science project, but the play delivers a hopeful message.

“Your background will not determine your future,” a character declares.

Koyonzo Secondary School staged a handshake, urging Kenyans to resist political divisions and preserve peaceful coexistence.

Kenya National Drama and Film Festival chairman Christopher Joseph Odhiambo said the festival is increasingly integrating technology into stage production. “We want stage performances to embrace technology, especially in set design and presentation,” he told participants.

The 64th edition of the national drama festival runs until April 17 under the theme Bold Storytellers, Digital Stages: Kenya’s Development Through Theatre and Film.