Hidden Reasoning Why Senate Has Changed it’s Dress code

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has eased dress code regulations for members during the house’s week-long tour to Turkana County as part of Parliament’s initiatives to connect with the electorate directly.

The Senate’s current sitting in Turkana is the chamber’s first session outside Nairobi since the current administration took over power in 2022.

In a communique, Kingi gave a directive, which gave senators the free reign to wear something different apart from their usual formal suits, to allow the legislators to blend in the new environment which is known to be very hot and have dry climate.

“It shall not be mandatory that a senator is dressed in formal suits. For those who are comfortable donning the official suits, kindly proceed to do so,” Kingi declared

Although Kingi exempted male senators from wearing a tie he revealed that he still expects them to wear official shirts, only for this week’s seatings.

The senators were asked to maintain a business look during the sessions.

“One of the fundamental rights of a worker or employee is a comfortable working place so that you can be able to get the best from that particular employee,” Kingi added.

Senators thus, went ahead to attend the session wearing traditional and religious attire such as vitenges, maasai attire and accessories to fit what the residents of the Northern county typically wear.

The Speaker’s Rules (Revised) 2017 stipulates that members are required, whenever they are in the chamber, lounge or dining room to always be appropriately dressed meaning suits for men, while women are expected to don full-sleeved suits.

Instructively, the rules state that a male member shall be dressed in a coat, collar, tie, long trousers, socks and shoes, or service uniform, religious attire, or such other decent dressing as may be approved by the Speaker from time to time, one of the rules states.

Female counterparts are also not allowed to wear African attire such as kitenge.