Principal Secretary in the Basic Education Ministry Julius Bitok has ordered Lwak Girls High School in Siaya County to immediately readmit a Form Two student who was reportedly sent home for wearing a hijab.
PS Bitok made the announcement on Thursday, February 26, when he was called to address the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education. Members of the committee posed questions to the PS regarding the reported case where the Muslim student was denied the right to wear her hijab in school.
“There is an incident reported at St Mary’s Lwak Girls in Siaya where a Muslim student who joined Grade 10 was refused permission to wear her hijab,” one of the members of the committee told the PS.
While addressing the concerns raised by the members of the committee regarding the case of the Muslim student who was denied the right to wear her hijab in school, the PS was quick to say that the Constitution is very clear on matters of religion.
“There should be no discrimination whatsoever on matters of religion and faith. As we speak now, the girl was removed from school, but I will ensure that she returns to school immediately,” PS Bitok said.
The student, who was identified as Samira Ramadhan, was reportedly denied admission in school on February 20 for refusing to remove her hijab. The student was later expelled from school, just a month after joining the school, for the same reason.
Samira has also claimed that the Muslim students in the school are being forced to take part in the Catholic mass and are not being allowed to take their own prayers.
The issue has since sparked national attention as the Health Cabinet Secretary, Aden Duale, has also chimed in to offer his thoughts regarding the matter. He claimed that the action taken by the school violated the student’s right to freedom of worship as provided in the constitution.
“A Muslim girl can wear a hijab and go to school. The courts in our country have ruled against infringement,” said Duale.
This comes at a time when the President, William Ruto, has ordered that all Grade 10 students in the country be taken to school even if they don’t have the required uniform or have not cleared their fees in order to ensure that no student is left behind.
This is not the first time schools have faced accusations over religious dress. In 2025, two religious-sponsored schools were also put on the spot after allegedly sending students home for wearing hijabs.
For now, all eyes will be on Lwak Girls to see whether the directive from the Education Ministry will be acted upon and whether the student will return to class without further hurdles.