The Kenyan Senate Assembly has allowed senators to enter the Assembly and conduct their normal business while wearing their cultural attire.   

Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka made the landmark ruling on Tuesday paving the way for senators select their best traditional attires to shine in while conducting their legislative work.

Lusaka issued the ruling after Wajir Senator Abdulahi Ali raised a point of order to establish if Narok senator Ledama ole Kina, who was donning a Maasai shuka, was dressed properly in the House.

Lusaka, in his historic ruling, cited the constitution and what it stipulaes on culture and the Speaker’s rule book outlining how a member should dress to be allowed into the Assembly.


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Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka. PHOTO/PARLIAMENT

According to the Speaker’s Rule Book, a member of the Senate Assembly must put on a formal suit, a shirt as well as a tie, a pair of socks and shoes.

It also permits service uniforms, religious attire and any other decent dressing that must be approved from time to time.

“We all represent counties and we know that every county has its own unique cultural dressing,” said Lusaka in his ruling.

He added, “Based on that, it would be unfair and unconstitutional for me to order Mr Ole Kina out of the chamber on the account that he is not properly dressed. I rule he is properly dressed and he must remain in the chamber.”

His ruling was received by excited members with round of applause, with the ruling set to open the doors to cultural dressing from the diverse communities represented in the chambers.