This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
On September 13, 2019, the High Court in Nairobi made a significant ruling in favor of Rastafarianism, declaring it a recognized religion in Kenya.
At the heart of the case was a Form One student who was sent home by Olympic High School in Nairobi for sporting dreadlocks, a practice forbidden by her family's Rastafarian faith.
Justice Chacha Mwita ruled that the school had violated the student's constitutional rights, including her right to education and freedom of religion.
“The rule that she cuts her hair is intrusive to her religion and not justifiable in a democratic country,” Justice Mwita said in his ruling.
He directed the school to reinstate the student immediately, stating that the right to education and freedom of religion supersedes an institution's rules and regulations.
Article 30 (1) of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief, and opinion, was cited in the ruling as the basis for the court's decision.
