Allow Rastafarian girl back to school - CS Amina

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 in an interview on Tuesday 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.

Olympic High School in Nairobi sent the girl home on January 10 and ordered her to report back only after shaving off the dreadlocks, considered part of the Rastafarian religion.

 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.

Read: Father wants daughter paid for dismissal over hairstyle