A father who had moved to court to challenge a school’s directive to send her daughter home because of her dreadlocks dreadlocks has won the heart of cabinet secretary Amina Mohamed.
The father had accused the school of subjecting his daughter to religious discrimination, punishing her for following the family’s Rastafarian faith.
Her stay at the school on January 11, lasted for hours before hitting an iceberg of controversy after attending Maths and Geography classes. The Deputy Principal had just noticed her turban and sent for her to let her know that she was unfit for admission.
“After taking lunch, a colleague came and told me that the Deputy Principal had sent for me. When I went to the office, I was told to remove my scarf as only Muslims were allowed to cover their hair,” Makeda says.
She narrates with bitterness in her voice that the Deputy Principal told her to choose between her hair and books. Makeda was sent home and told that she cannot stay in school with her dreadlocks and that she has to embrace the same hairstyle as other students.
However , Education CS Amina Mohamed has said a Rastafarian girl should be allowed to return to school without having to cut her dreadlocks.
Amina told the Star that the girl “is entitled to education” and “should be allowed back to school”.
“It is not right to interpret to others how they are supposed to live,” she said
Amina pointed out that the courts have ruled Muslim girls are all allowed to wear headscarves, or hijabs, to school. In 2016, the Appeal Court ruled that hijabs are permitted because the Constitution provides for the right to education as well as freedom of religion and cultural practice.
The court instructed Education CS Fred Matiang’i to ensure that school uniform rules do not discriminate against students based on their religion.
The girl’s father, John Mwenda, says his daughter wore dreadlocks in primary school. He is seeking compensation for violation of her rights and wants her allowed to return to school unconditionally without cutting her hair.