Wetangula Bans MPs From Wearing Kaunda Suits To Parliament

National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetangula, has announced that it is illegal for Members of Parliament (MP) to wear Kaunda suits to the August House, a fashion trend popularised by President William Ruto.

In an address to the National Assembly on Tuesday, Wetangula classified the fashion suits, also known as Mao Zedong coats, as an improper dress that goes against the rules of the House regarding dress code.

He also banned hats, caps and traditional attire.

"Going forward, therefore, honourable members, any attire outside what is prescribed in Rule 9 of the Speaker's rules is prohibited. This includes kaunda suits, whether long or short-sleeved," ruled the Speaker.

“I direct that all members must observe Rule 9 of the Speaker’s Rules on Dress Code, not only in the Chamber but also in committee, lounges and dining areas. Kaunda suit is not permitted in the Chamber, committee, lounges and dining areas."

The ruling sees Wetangula reverse previous rulings by former speakers which embraced the popular kaunda suits within the precincts of Parliament.

He was of the view that kaunda suits posed a threat to the traditional parliamentary dress code, hence moving to impose the ban.

The speaker had singled out Rarieda Member of Parliament Otiende Amollo and his Kimilili counterpart Didmus Barasa as lawmakers who adopted the kaunda suits as their trademark dress code anytime they stepped into Parliament.

“This practice outrightly does not accord with the seriousness of the house and its committees,” Wetangula added.

Furthermore, Speaker Wetangula outlawed tight and revealing clothes for female MPs after some women in the house had raised concerns requesting the speaker to protect the dignity of the House. However, he argued that the ban was not in any way meant to prefect MPs.

The Speaker also banned Maasai shukas as part of the dress code as envisaged in the Assembly’s standing rules despite previous instances where speakers admitted such clothes.

President Ruto 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.

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.

Read more: Kaunda Suits: Story Of Men's Fashion Ruto Chose Over Suit & Tie