What should have been a proud milestone for Samira Ramadhan has turned into a nightmare of religious intolerance.

After receiving her admission letter to the prestigious Lwak Girls High School, a Category C1 national school in Rarieda, Siaya County, Samira’s elation was quickly replaced by what she describes as a calculated campaign of humiliation and frustration.

The trouble began shortly after the admission process. According to Samira, the Deputy Principal initially assured her that her religious needs would be respected, promising she could wear her hijab and be granted time for worship.

However, the reality inside the school gates told a different story.

“No sooner had I settled in than I saw other Muslim students taking off their hijabs. I was expected to follow suit,” Samira told Kondele News.

Her refusal to remove her white hijab, a symbol of her faith she has worn since birth, triggered a wave of hostility from nearly every level of the school hierarchy.

The timing has made the ordeal even more painful. “We are in the Holy Month of Ramadan, a time for fasting and modesty,” she explained.

“I told them I have never taken off my hijab in my life, and that did not go well with the administration. From the principal and teachers to the nuns and even fellow learners, I have faced constant ridicule and segregation.”

Her father, Nasib Ramadhan, is equally distraught. He revealed that a priest at the Catholic-sponsored institution even summoned Samira, reportedly telling her that “with time,” she would eventually take off the hijab because of the school’s Catholic identity.

“I don’t understand why my daughter has to undergo this ill-treatment just because of her religion,” Nasib lamented.

This incident at Lwak Girls reignites the national debate over a 2019 Supreme Court ruling which affirmed that every student has the right to wear religious attire, such as the hijab or turban, as long as it matches the school colors.

Despite several attempts by Kondele News to reach the school principal for a comment, phone calls went unanswered and messages remained unreplied.

Sheikh Ibrahim Otieno, Siaya County Muslim Council Chairman noted with concern the treatment that Samira had to go through for being a Muslim.

“It is sad that in a country where right to worship is enshrined in the constitution a student has to face such ill treatment. It is time the Siaya County religious caucus came up with a way forward to avoid such treatment in future,” said Ibrahim.