Kakamega High School to provide Mosque, IRE teachers after meal controversy
The resolutions were reached in the aftermath of an incident in which pork was served to students at the school.
Kakamega High School has agreed to allocate space for the construction of classrooms that will also serve as a mosque to cater to the spiritual needs of Muslim students. The school, as part of measures to embrace religious inclusivity, will additionally introduce Islamic Religious Education (IRE) and Arabic language studies to broaden learning options for Muslim learners.
The school also pledged to embrace religious inclusivity to Muslim students
The move comes as relief for more than 140 Muslim students who have faced challenges in observing their daily prayers within the school.
The resolutions were reached following a consultative meeting between the school administration and the Muslim Education Secretariat Western Province (MESWEP) in the aftermath of an incident in which pork was served to students at the school.
Officials from the secretariat — an affiliate of the Muslim Education Council (MEC) — including Board of Trustees Chairman Nassoro Rashid and Kakamega Upper Coordinator Alphan Amadan, visited the institution to express their concerns over the matter.
During the meeting, the school’s headteacher, Dr. Aliva Elphas, acknowledged the incident and apologised to the Muslim community, assuring them that such an occurrence would not happen again.
Following the deliberations, both parties agreed to strengthen cooperation for the benefit of all students.
According to the resolutions, MESWEP will mobilise funds and coordinate the construction of two classrooms that will double as a mosque and IRE learning spaces. The secretariat will also be responsible for sourcing IRE and Arabic teachers and supporting school activities such as Ramadhan programmes and bursary initiatives.
“The principal pledged to work with MESWEP through consultation to ensure that the ethos of the Muslim community within the school is upheld,” said Chairman Nassoro.
“Let us come together to raise funds for these noble initiatives. We appreciate all those who raised concerns about this issue, which may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as we now have an opportunity to introduce IRE and Arabic studies in the school. Let us not lose this opportunity,” he added.
The developments follow protests by parents over last week’s incident in which pork was reportedly served to students. Although the school maintained that Muslim students and members of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church were provided with separate meals, parents expressed concerns over possible cross-contamination and what they described as a lack of sensitivity to their religious beliefs.