Court in Kenya rules that Muslims can wear hijab at Christian schools

A court in Kenya has ruled that Christian schools may not ban Muslim girls from wearing hijabs as part of their uniforms. A church-run school had banned female pupils from wearing the headscarf, saying that allowing students to dress differently created discord. But judges ruled education promoters must embrace the principles of diversity and non-discrimination. Some 11% of Kenyans are Muslims while 83% follow the Christian faith. State schools already allow girls to wear the hijab. The country has had a long-running row over the place of the hijab at schools that are funded by Christian Churches, with some such schools banning the garment outright. But following this ruling, Muslim girls will be able to wear headscarves to school.
They will also be able to wear trousers instead of skirts to school, as long as they are white. This brings Christian schools into line with the uniform policy at state schools. Large swathes of northern Kenya have received very little government support over the decades and have grown to depend on schools and hospitals run by Christian missionaries. In counties like Garissa, Mandera and Lodwar, the best-performing schools were run by Christian missionaries. Rules included studying Christianity and, at Catholic schools, attending Mass together at daybreak. The challenge came as Muslim students joined these schools.
Local authorities ordered that Muslim girls must be allowed to wear hijabs and the Methodist Church challenged their directive in court. But three judges agreed with the local authorities. The judges said students are "bearers and exercisers of the full guarantees in our bill of rights and they are no less entitled to those rights by reason only of being within school gates". Local media report that the court said the hijab ban discriminated against Muslim girls "in so far as it prohibits and prevents them from manifesting their religion".