This archive report was first published on 16 September 2019.
On September 13, 2019, the High Court in Kenya made a landmark ruling in favor of a Rastafarian student who was expelled from Olympic High School over her dreadlocks.
The court, led by Justice Chacha Mwita, prohibited the school from interfering with the student's education on religious grounds, stating that the school's action was an affront to religious freedom.
The student had been expelled by the school, citing a rule that bars students from having dreadlocks, despite the fact that she had signed the rules before joining the school.
However, the court ruled that the school's attempt to force the student to cut her hair was a violation of her rights to education, and ordered the school to re-admit her.
The ruling was welcomed by the student's lawyer, Ochiel Dudley, who described it as a 'win for freedom of religion and a celebration of diversity.'
