Expert Reveals Substantial Earnings Malala Could Have Earned from Butere Girls’ Echoes of War Play
The conversation around playwriting income in Kenya has taken center stage following the buzz around Echoes of War, a school play authored by former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala.
Originally intended for performance by Butere Girls during the April 2025 Kenya Schools Drama Festival, the play has sparked national debate—not just on politics and censorship, but also on the financial rewards of playwriting.
To unpack the realities of this often-overlooked career, TUKO.co.ke spoke with veteran comedian and scriptwriter Kevin Aswani. Aswani offered valuable insight into how much a playwright in Kenya can earn, particularly someone with Malala’s track record.
According to Aswani, Malala is not a novice in the field. The former senator has reportedly authored over 80 performance scripts. These range from solo verses to full-fledged theatrical plays, each carrying its own price tag based on complexity and demand.
“For school drama productions,” Aswani revealed, “a script’s cost depends on the depth of the project and the client involved. Typically, prices fall between KSh 60,000 and KSh 100,000.”
In the case of Echoes of War, a full-length play with compelling themes aimed at the national stage, Aswani estimates it would fetch around KSh 100,000. And that’s just one play.
Given Malala’s portfolio of 85 scripts, the math is eye-opening. If each script was sold at the minimum rate of KSh 60,000, his earnings would total KSh 5.1 million. At the top-end rate of KSh 100,000, that figure skyrockets to KSh 8.5 million.
But scriptwriting is just part of the income stream.
Aswani pointed out an additional, often neglected revenue path: training students. After selling a script, many writers are invited to coach schools through various competition levels—local, county, and national.
He explained, “A writer who also trains earns extra, around KSh 10,000 per stage. So across three levels, that’s KSh 30,000 per script.”
When applied to Malala’s career, the numbers become even more impressive. If he trained schools on all 85 scripts, that could have added another KSh 2.55 million to his total income.
Despite the attractive earnings, Aswani stressed that success in playwriting doesn’t come easy.
“You must be consistent,” he said. “The craft evolves fast. You can’t write a script and vanish for years. Themes shift with society, so you need to be culturally alert and constantly refining your storytelling.”
His remarks come amid rising scrutiny of creative expression in schools. The banning of Echoes of War sparked intense conversations about the role of drama in political discourse and education.
However, it also highlighted the unseen intellectual labor behind school plays and the significant value these scripts hold—not only in message, but also in monetary terms.
In a society where creative arts are often undervalued, revelations like these could redefine how we view careers in the performing arts. With proper consistency, cultural awareness, and business acumen, playwriting in Kenya is no longer just a passion project—it’s a serious, sustainable profession.
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Expert Reveals Substantial Earnings Malala Could Have Earned from Butere Girls’ Echoes of War Play
