Nakuru County Assembly plenary hall was on Wednesday decorated with beautiful African attire.
This was the first time the MCAs conducted their session in “Made in Kenya” attire after Nakuru County Speaker Joel Maina Kairu amended the rules.
Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja wore a customised Kikuyu traditional outfit decorated with beads and cowrie shells and a white hat made of fur.
“I thank Speaker Kairu for allowing MCAs to wear African attire. It’s good to have an identity which we have been missing in the House,” said Mr Karanja.
He added: “As prolific Kenyan author Ngugi Wa Thiong’o would rightly put it, we are now decolonising the mind by wearing African attire in the assembly.”
There was a heated debate when Kabazi MCA Peter Mbae said Mr Karanja was wearing a traditional outfit.
“Mr Speaker you should make a ruling as to whether the Kikuyu council of elders’ attire that is worn by Mr Karanja is part of the approved African attire,” said Dr Mbae.
“Kikuyu council of elders’ dress is not for the MCAs to wear in the assembly, it is a ceremonial dress for special occasions,” said Dr Mbae
But Mr Karanja insisted that he was properly dressed as per the new assembly dressing code for Wednesdays.
Last month, Mr Kairu initiated the move to amend the Speaker’s rules on MCA’s dress code. Mr Kairu said this was in line with Jubilee administration manufacturing pillar of the Big Four Agenda as advocated by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Nakuru MCAs will now wear made in Kenya attire on Wednesdays. “The introduction of African attire in the assembly will break the monotony of a tie and suit,” said Mr Karanja.
Nakuru becomes the first county assembly out of 47 to allow its members to address the session in African outfits.
In June, while presiding over the reopening of Rivatex in Eldoret, President Kenyatta urged all public servants to wear Kenyan made garments to boost the local textile industry.
