The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) has faulted the recent Supreme Court ruling that schools can determine the school uniform for Muslim female students.
CIPK Organizing Secretary Sheikh Mohamed Khalifa said the verdict by the apex court will in the long run lead to the discrimination of Muslim students based on their religious convictions.
Speaking in Mombasa Sheikh Khalifa said the ruling was certainly a bad news for the Muslim community saying it will disenfranchise female Muslim students in church sponsored schools in the country.
He said the judgment delivered was ‘unfair’ to the Muslim community whom he said will now be forced to ignore the ruling as it was openly discriminatory and in conflict with their belief.
Muslim female students want freedom to be allowed to wear hijab (head scarves) and trousers while in school as part of their Islamic religious tradition.
The concerns come in the wake of Supreme Court ruling that overturned the appellate ruling allowing Muslim students to wear hijabs in non-Muslim schools.
The Supreme Court judges said the decision goes against school uniform policy granting schools leeway to decide what rules will govern it.
At the same time the cleric said clearing of huge backlog of cases that have plagued the justice system for decades should be the priority of the chief justice.
He said the court should also help expedite corruption cases in the country to restore the confidence of Kenyans on the judiciary.