Siaya County, Kenya In a swift response to a controversial disagreement over religious expression at St. Mary’s Lwak Girls High School, Basic Education Principal Secretary Prof. Julius Bitok has intervened, issuing directives aimed at resolving the dispute and protecting learners’ rights.
The incident began when a Grade 10 student, identified as Samira Ramadhan, was reportedly barred from wearing her hijab just weeks after beginning her senior school term despite earlier assurances that she would be allowed to observe her religious dress code. The situation quickly sparked public concern and reignited broader debates over religious freedom in Kenyan public schools.
According to official social media dispatches, PS Bitok has instructed the immediate re-admission of the student to St. Mary’s Lwak Girls High School following her departure from school amid the dispute. The directive makes clear that learners should not be excluded or discriminated against based on religious attire, and it places responsibility on school authorities to align their policies with national education guidelines and regulations.
TV47 reports that Prof. Bitok has also communicated with regional and county education directors, urging them to ensure compliance and to address any related grievances arising from the situation. His office is said to be actively engaging county officials to ensure learners’ rights are upheld and to forestall similar incidents in other institutions.
The controversy touches on long-standing tensions between institutional uniform policies and religious freedoms. St. Mary’s Lwak Girls High School, a Catholic national school in Siaya County, has been at the center of the discussion after student and parent accounts suggested that earlier verbal assurances regarding hijab accommodations were reversed shortly after the term began.
The media spotlight on the incident follows a backdrop of similar cases in Kenya where Muslim students have faced challenges relating to the wearing of religious attire, including past legal disputes and policy reviews. Public commentary has emphasized the need for clearer guidelines and more inclusive practices across the national learning system.
While the Lwak hijab controversy has stirred emotion among parents, faith groups, and civil society advocates, PS Bitok’s intervention signals a push by the Ministry of Education to uphold constitutional protections while also urging school managers to respect the diversity of learners placed under their care.
The Ministry has not yet issued a full written policy directive on this specific case, but stakeholders are watching closely as officials engage with county education offices and school administrators to balance institutional uniform regulations with individual rights.