Buy Kenya: State staff to wear local garments on Fridays

Standard Group PLC CEO Orlando Lyomu (left) receives a cotton shirt made by Moi University’s Rift Valley Textiles (RIVATEX) from the university's Vice-Chancellor Isaac Kosgey early this year. The Government is encouraging its staff to wear such attire. [File, Standard]

The Department of Justice has directed its staff to wear “Made in Kenya” attire on Fridays in a bid to support the manufacturing sector.

In a circular dated October 17, Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto noted that the move will support Jubilee’s manufacturing pillar of the Big Four agenda and create employment.

“Pursuant to achievement of the Big Four agenda and specifically the expansion of manufacturing pillar by producing better goods and creating employment, I direct that all members of staff shall on Fridays, with effect from October 18, 2019, be dressed in decent, smart casual Kenyan-produced and tailored attire,” Ogeto said in the circular.

He added: “The dress down is subject to the dress code spelt out in section J29 of the Public Service Commission human resource policies and procedure manual.”

The PSC human resource manual requires all public officers to be “well-groomed and decently dressed” to maintain an appropriate standard of dress and personal hygiene in public and private.

In June, while presiding over the reopening of Rivatex in Eldoret, President Uhuru Kenyatta urged all public servants to wear proudly ‘Made in Kenya’ garments to boost the local textile industry.

“We must create demand for our own products by actively consuming those products ourselves. Towards this objective, let us encourage each other to proudly wear Made in Kenya garments,” he said.