The Kenya parliament has decided that people can’t wear a suit named after the late Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda in the building.
The Speaker of Parliament, Moses Wetangula, said that Kaunda suits and traditional African clothes are not allowed.
Kenyan President William Ruto usually wears them for important events.
This has made the Kaunda suit popular with politicians. It’s a safari jacket with matching trousers.
The suit is called after the former president of Zambia who liked to wear them and made them popular among political leaders in sub-Saharan Africa.
The suit, also known as the Mao Zedong suit, doesn’t have a collar and often has short sleeves.
On Tuesday, Mr Wetangula said he banned the suit because new fashion trends were not following the dress code for Parliament.
He said that men should wear a coat, collared shirt, tie, long-sleeved shirt, long pants, socks, and shoes.
“Ladies can wear business attire, formal clothes, or smart casual outfits. ” Skirts and dresses should be long enough to cover the knees and look appropriate. “He said we can’t wear shirts without sleeves,”
The Kaunda suit has been worn by some Members of Parliament in the past and it has been allowed in parliament.
Mr Wetangula admitted that these kinds of suits were allowed in the past, but now it’s important to stop allowing them because they go against the rules for how to dress in parliament.
The Kaunda suit has become popular on social media in Kenya because Mr. Ruto started wearing them at official events.
The decision to not allow people to wear suits has caused different reactions on social media. Some people are confused why an African parliament would ban traditional African clothing, while others agree with the decision.
Some people made fun of the ban, saying that only the president would be allowed to wear the Kaunda suit.
“Right when you think you’ve seen everything. “I think the suits like Kaunda’s have been saved for the president,” said someone on X (formerly Twitter).
