It all started when Kisumu Town West MP accused his Rarieda counterpart Otiende Amollo of having developed a custom of dressing inappropriately, coming to the chambers with a collar-less shirt, although he did not mince his words in acknowledging Amollo looked very smart.

This quickly prompted Speaker Justin Muturi to read the House Standing orders on dress code.

It states that members (MPs), members of the press shall not enter the Chamber, Lounge, Dining room or Committee Rooms without their being properly dressed. Properly dressed means a) a coat, collar, tie, long-sleeved shirt, long trousers, socks and shoes or service uniform for men, b) decent formal/business wear for women.

The lawmaker tried to use his prowess in the field of law, perhaps banking on the Theory of Spiral of Silence, to silence his counterparts from criticizing him. Amollo said that despite his attire not having a collar, it had properly covered his neck.

The trick did not work as the debater himself, Suba South MP John Mbadi, rose to the occasion, dropping the Nomiya Church shade. According to the ODM Party chairperson, Honorable Otiende Amollo’s dressing was no different to that of a Nomiya Church pastor on a Sunday, adding that where he comes from is where the church was founded.

Mbadi even went a notch higher in suggesting there be a change of rules in Parliament’s dress code.

“You cannot allow Honorable Abdulswamad to dress like a Muslim and you deny me from dressing as a Catholic or a Seventh Day Adventist…Tomorrow a Legio Maria will come here and you will not prevent me from dressing as one” said Mbadi.

Majority Leader Aden Duale decided to attack ‘nominee 001’ David Ole Sankok’s ‘green dress’, insisting that there is what he terms as “total confusion between him and the Parliament clerks on the table…You should leave your green uniform outside before entering the Chamber”

The Garissa Town East MP said that integrity of the House must be protected. If not, he says, MPs like Embakasi West George Theuri will now start coming to Parliament with his designer ‘East-lands jeans’