Women be warned: Bill to legislate against mini-skirts in final stages

Above the knee. Assembly member says the dress code is ‘soiling’ the young generation.

BY JOSEPH MASHA

Mombasa, Kenya: The Kilifi County Assembly Legal Affairs Committee is now scrutinising a Bill seeking to ban mini-skirts and sagging trousers before it is debated in the House.

The committee is seeking to ensure the proposed Mini Clothes Bill does not violate any provisions of the Constitution as raised by its opponents before returning it to the Speaker for approval.

And if it passes the legal hurdles, the Speaker will forward it to the House Business Committee to be allocated time for debate early next month according to sources within the assembly.

The Standard has established that the assembly Speaker Jimmy Kahindi forwarded the Bill to the committee last week after receiving it from the mover, Marafa Ward Representative Renson Kambi.

The Bill, which proposes to promote virtue by outlawing so called indecent clothing in Kilifi, has already generated heated debate with critics accusing Mr Kambi and his supporters of targeting women.

However, Kambi has insisted that the proposed law also targets indecently dressed men. Deputy Speaker Teddy Mwambire confirmed that Kambi had presented the proposed Bill to Kahindi for handover to the House Legal committee.

“The proposed Bill on mini skirts and other indecent dressing has been received by the speaker’s office and has been forwarded to the legal officers of the assembly for their legal opinion and direction,” said Mr Mwambire.

The Bill seeks to make it illegal for men and women to wear any clothes that expose the body indecently. They include mini-skirts for women and trousers that expose buttocks for men.

Kambi told The Standard last week that if passed into law, the proposed legislation would reduce cases of indecent dressing especially among women in urban areas within Kilifi County.

He said most urban centres in Kilifi County have been hit by women strippers who undress to entertain guests in clubs for income saying the trend is bad for the up and ccoming generation.

“We need to come up with laws that will control and guide the dressing styles for both men and women to avoid moral decay in our society,” said Kambi.

However, the proposed Bill has sparked fury among women leaders in the county who claim it is geared towards interfering with their wardrobe. County Rep Jumwa Karisa said the Bill should not be passed as it goes against the rights of women.

Women rights

In an interview with The Standard, Ms Jumwa said women have the right to decide what to put on and it will be wrong for the county assembly to pass laws to determine their dress code.

“Women have the right to decide on what clothes to put on provided they do not move around half naked, but passing a law which will direct them on what they are supposed to wear is interfering with their dressing rights,” she said.

But Kambi dismissed those fighting his efforts saying the poor dress code has affected the young generation and said putting the law in place will address the problem.

He said many girls have been dropping out of school due to poor dress code, which attracts boys who later lure them into getting engaged in love affairs.

The Bill has sparked protests from commercial sex workers who say it will curtail the allure of their trade. But the proposed legislation has also irked beach boys and other people who wear so called ‘ sagging trousers’ that provoke emotion by exposing private parts.