Kaunda Suits: Story Of Men's Fashion Ruto Chose Over Suit & Tie
The suit is said to have originated in Australia in the 1970s but was made more popular in Africa by the first President of Zambia
Marvin Chege 
President William Ruto on Wednesday, June 14 switched up from his classic suit and tie consisting of black blazers and white shirts and red ties to the Kaunda suits for the second time in less than a week.
The Head of State first stepped out donning a blue Kaunda Suit with a black shirt underneath during a State visit to Djibouti on June 11, 2023, sending netizens crazy about fashion and wilding about Ruto's exquisite taste in men's clothing.
Three days later, the Commander-in-Chief addressed two functions in Naivasha; the 4th Engineering Partnerships Convention and the Kenya Urban Forum, both clad in a neat black Kaunda suit.
As though that was not enough, he added a black fedora hat to the mix while addressing residents during the opening of the Naivasha Modern Market in Nakuru County.
President William Ruto donning the Kaunda suit in Naivasha on June 14, 2023. /TWITTER.NAJMA ISMAIL
Viral Tea examines the history behind the Kaunda suits which have attracted attention and sparked renewed interest in this unique fashion statement.
Kaunda Suit In Zambia
The suit is said to have originated in Australia in the 1970s but was made more popular in Africa by the first President of Zambia, the late Kenneth Kaunda, from whose last name the attire was christened.
Kaunda loved the suit so much that he wore it across all his functions, a trend that was eventually picked up by fellow African leaders.
During an interview before his death, Kaunda narrated how he met the late former Tanzania President Julius Nyerere also wearing the same suit, and the latter had disclosed to him that it was Kenyan tailors who had christened it the ‘Kaunda suit.’
“Julius Nyerere and I were meeting one day in Mbeya, we were having a meeting of Frontline States. He was dressed in my suit, I was wearing my suit. And he said ‘you know, these Kenyan people are very business-minded and they’re cautious.
"He said they said, ‘now we can’t reach Kaunda, and if he finds that we’re using his suit in the business, he will sue us. So what we do is, let’s call it Kaunda suit so that Kaunda doesn’t get angry when he sees it,’” he narrated in the undated clip.
Some call it the safari suit. Others call it a shaket, a collapse of the words shirt and jacket.
Nonetheless, the 1970s are marked as the moment safari suits made their way into the wardrobes of the elite. The safari suit, as a trend, carried on into the 80s and even part of the 90s and can be traced back to the late Don Dunstan, who was the Premier of South Australia.
Dunstan became a trendsetter by wearing the safari suit quite often and in March 1974, according to internet sources, male politicians in the North were granted permission to wear khaki suits during assembly sittings.
The Speaker is recorded as saying, “Honourable members, I have received a further request that the standard of male dress be relaxed to include safari jackets. I have been in touch with the federal parliament and I find that the Speaker...is allowing safari jackets with shirt and tie.
"He also allows one member to wear a safari jacket over an open-necked shirt. Therefore, I have decided to accept safari jackets as suitable dress in the assembly. I must say that I do this very reluctantly because I feel that we have relaxed our standards too far. However, the precedent has been set. I might add that I will not allow T-shirts," he stated then, in a speech that inspired Prince Charles to wear a safari suit almost a decade later when he visited Australia with Princess Diana.
Kaunda Suit Trend Today
Kaunda suits in the late 1990s stretching to the 2000s had become famous outfits that men preferred as an apt alternative to the traditional long-sleeve suits that had been mainly embraced.
Despite Kaunda suits being a pure reserve for the elderly, the young generation of men in the 2000s started to don them due to their simplicity, cool and comfortable design, given they were not accessorized by ties.
