NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 27 – Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has condemned St. Mary’s Lwak Girls High School over allegations that it barred a student from wearing a hijab, terming the move discriminatory and unconstitutional.
The former Majority Leader and Garissa Township MP said the decision to prevent the student, from donning her religious attire violates Articles 32 and 37 of the Constitution, which guarantee freedom of worship and expression.
“I strongly condemn St. Mary’s Lwak Girls High School for violating Articles 32 and 37 of our Constitution, which guarantee freedom of worship and expression, including wearing religious attire,” said Duale.
The CS emphasized that Kenya must uphold inclusivity, tolerance and respect for all faiths, urging the Ministry of Education to take immediate action to safeguard the student’s rights.
“Every Kenyan child deserves equal access to education, regardless of faith or background,” he said.
Duale stressed the need for religious accommodation in schools, noting that students from different faiths are allowed to observe their traditions.
“A Mkorino can wear their thing and go to school. A Singh can wear his turban and go to school. A Muslim girl can wear a hijab and go to school,” he stated.
St. Mary’s Lwak Girls High School is accused of barring the student from wearing the hijab despite assurances at the time of admission that she would be allowed to do so.
According to the student and her parents, the school’s position reportedly changed barely a month after she reported, effectively denying her the freedom she had been promised.
The student’s father said repeated attempts to seek clarification from the school’s administration over the decision were met with silence.
He noted that he had cleared school fees for the term but had decided to withdraw his daughter and transfer her to a school that accommodates Muslim students.
Duale’s remarks comes a day after the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee Vice-Chairperson directed the Ministry of Education to compel the school to readmit the learner and allow her to don the hijab.
The incident has reignited debate over the balance between religious freedom and institutional regulations in schools.
The matter also revives discussions stemming from a 2019 ruling by the Supreme Court of Kenya, which overturned a 2016 Court of Appeal decision that had allowed Muslim students to wear the hijab in non-Muslim schools.
The apex court held that individual schools have the authority to determine their dress codes.