School ordered to re-admit boy expelled for drawing ‘demonic art’

Ian Mwaura Njenga and the artwork that led to his expulsion from school. (Photo: Moses Kipsang/Standard) 

Nakuru County Director for Education Isaac Asebe has ordered Bahati Boys High School to re-admit a form four student who had been expelled from the school for allegedly drawing "demonic art".

The student- Ian Mwaura Njenga- was expelled from the school on February 13 after he was accused of drawing "suggestive art".

After Njenga's plight was highlighted by The Standard the County Director of Education stepped in and ordered the school management to rescind its punitive decision and allow the student proceed with his studies.

Asebe said he had talked with the school management concerning the grounds under which the school had expelled the boy.

"I have talked with the school and they will be re-admitting the boy to school on Monday. The school further suggested that the boy will be given guidance and counselling sessions," Asebe who talked to The Standard on phone said.

Njenga had been expelled from school by the disciplinary committee over what the institution termed as demonic faith.

Thursday, Njenga and his mother camped at the Ministry of Education Nakuru County offices for better part of the day as they sought intervention of the County Director.

"He has drawings which are suggestive that he is owing allegiance to some faith," reads part of the expulsion letter signed by the school principal Patrick Ombok.

He was also accused of drawing a scorpion on another boy's shirt which the school says was a sign of recruiting other students to a cult.

In an earlier interview with The Standard, the School principal Ombok had said the school would not re-admit the student saying the decision from the school board was final.

When the story was published in The Standard Thursday, it sparked criticism over the ‘harsh disciplinary action.’

Atheists in Kenya (AIK) society issued the school principal a seven-day ultimatum to lift the exclusion letter, failure to which the society would move to court.

The society had threatened to sue the school for interfering with the studies of the form four student.

In a letter addressed to the school principal and copied to the Teachers' Service Commission, Ministry of Education and Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the society said reasons for expelling the boy from school are 'unreasonable, repulsive, objectionable and abhorrent'.