Colonial laws now gone, what about their dress?

By Kenfrey Kiberenge

If a stranger from another planet landed in Uhuru Park on Friday, he would be forgiven to assume the promulgation of the new Constitution was a European affair.

Save for the dull cultural walk-past by the various entertainers from various communities, the secondary use of Kiswahili and the dominant dark skinned colour, there was no trace of a national identity on display at the nation’s big day.

The leaders, from President Kabaki to Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Cabinet ministers and MPs, arrived buttoned up in suits and ties, while their spouses played around with designs to spot not-so-African outfits.

"On a day that we are changing the Constitution written by our colonialists, it was a mockery of the event for our leaders to dress in attires introduced to us by the same masters," said Emanuel Kiarie, a primary school Art and Craft teacher who attended the ceremony.

Wananchi also wore western-style casual clothes.

Some women MPs including Martha Karua, Millie Odhiambo, Rachael Shebesh, Beatrice Kones, Wavinya Ndeti and Phares Simam, and an artist Caroline Nderitu were visibly in attires with the colours of the national flag.

Colonial era traits

"I salute them," said Kiarie. Kenya has in the past engaged in a long, costly and futile search for a national dress, first one being in September 2004.

While Britain has the suit, Ghana has kente and Nigeria has agbada, you cannot identify Kenyans by their dressing. They wear anything under the sun, as long as it makes them look stylish and feel comfortable.

This is the sad tale of a country where vestiges of the British colonial era, such as driving on the left and the shilling, still pervade.

The search for a national dress remains elusive, six years after the Government pumped in Sh50 million of taxpayers’ money to launch one.

Last year, Tourism Minister Najib Balala said he would embark on a new mission to unveil a widely acceptable national dress.

September 14, 2004, had marked the end of a seven-month journey in search of a national dress, which began after two MPs were kicked out of the House for being ‘indecently’ dressed. They dressed in West African outfits.

Old Standing Orders required MPs to ‘dress decently’ but new House rules are silent on dressing code.

After the exploration, a joint venture between the Ministry of Culture and Heritage and Unilever Kenya’s Sunlight, it was all systems go.

In 2004, top Government officials Raila Odinga, Moody Awori, Mukhisa Kituyi, Ochillo Ayacko, Najib Balala, and Wangari Maathai took to the catwalk at the Kenya National Theatre at the much-hyped launch.

"We have always wished that one day we can be identified, not only by our faces and language, but by our dress as well – that’s a common denominator that can bring us together," said Balala that evening. He was then minister for Culture.

Five years later, the country has nothing to show for the Sh50 million. The dress faded as fast as the idea was mooted.

The dress was, and still is, a white elephant. No one wears it. Ordinary Kenyans find it insufferable. Celebrities despise it, and politicians disregard it.

Several reasons were advanced for the project’s failure. Some people felt the search for the national dress was rushed while others claim Kenyans were not involved in the search because the selection was done via cell phone SMS, but few Kenyans owned the gadget.

There were also arguments that in a country whose 60 per cent population lives on less than a dollar (Sh81) a day, it was farfetched to imagine they would spend up to Sh6,000 on the outfit.

Sarah Awiti, a public servant who had attended the fete, said the high cost of living in Kenya does not leave wananchi with much disposable income to spend on such an outfit.

"I like the dress very much and would have wished to have dressed my family in it, but could not afford with children’s school fees to pay," said Awiti.

But even Kenyan leadership has done nothing to market the so-called national outfit. On Friday, all the leaders preferred to don official black or navy blue suits, which are associated with the former colonialists.

Copying West Africans

On his part, Clement Wanjala, an artist, blamed politicians for perpetuating the nationwide dislike for the attire.

"Today, if an MP went to Parliament wearing the national dress, I bet he or she would be kicked out," she opined.

The organisers were also accused of copying West African dresses, while others dismissed the idea of a national dress altogether, saying the country was playing catch-up with other countries with national garbs since time immemorial, like Ethiopia.

Experts have proposed that the Government should settle on a unique dress that is widely worn by Kenyans and it would be easily embraced.