House halts business to discuss Sonko's dressing

A past session of Parliament. The House halted substantive business for 20 minutes to discuss an MPs' mode of dress March 1, 2011..FILE 

By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU, ashiundu@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Tuesday, March 1 2011 at 16:05

Parliament halted substantive business for 20 minutes to discuss an MPs' mode of dress Tuesday.

The subject of discussion was Makadara legislator Gidion Mbuvi, who was wearing white stud earrings and sunglasses in the debating chamber.

Assistant minister George Khaniri notified the Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim that Mr Mbuvi was inappropriately dressed in the House and that his attire besmirched the dignity of the august House.

Mr Khaniri recalled that in the 9th Parliament, he was thrown out for wearing sunglasses, yet he was nursing eye-injuries suffered in an accident.
“There’s a precedent and therefore he’s improperly dressed,” he told the Deputy Speaker.

Mr Khaniri was supported by assistant minister Bifwoli Wakoli (Bumula, Ford Kenya) who said that it was wrong for “a man to copy the dressing of women".

“In the history of this world, since God created this earth, men have never imitated women,” charged Mr Wakoli.

But Mr Mbuvi said he was a youth and that his dressing represented the youth of the country.

That didn’t go down well with Fred Outa (Nyando, ODM) shot up and asked: “I have young people in my constituency and I’ve never seen them wearing earrings!”

At this point, Charles Kilonzo (Yatta, ODM-K) asked his colleagues to differentiate between “stud earrings” and “earrings”, saying that “men wear studs” and that by wearing them in the House, Mr Mbuvi was “representing the youth of Makadara who wear studs”.

Youth Affairs assistant minister Kabando wa Kabando weighed in saying there was need for MPs to ensure that both ‘rural and urban youth’ are taken into account when discussing youth matters in the House.

“We don’t wish to stifle his freedoms, but at the same time, we don’t want to lower the dignity of the House… (if he insists that he is appropriately dressed, then) earrings and a skirt will then be in order for him (Mr Mbuvi),” Mr Kabando said.

Sheikh Mohammed Dor (nominated, ODM) said that earrings were out of step with regard to conventional male dressing.

Irked by the debate, the chairman of Parliament’s Committee on Education David Koech (Mosop) urged the Deputy Speaker to throw out Mr Mbuvi because allowing him “would make students go to class tomorrow wearing those things”.

But Mr Mbuvi had supporters in Ms Martha Karua (Gichugu, Narc Kenya), Mr Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany, ODM), Mr Gitobu Imanyara (Imenti Central, CCU) and assistant minister Peter Munya.

Mr Kutuny said that Mr Mbuvi was living to his ‘Sonko’ nickname, which means “rich man” in sheng. “He’s proving that he’s a sonko, and this is how they dress.”

Mr Munya added: “Long ago, Africans used to dress like that; but that has changed. But, I think, that’s a new trend that’s yet to make it to the floor of the House.”

Ms Karua pleaded with her colleagues to be ‘tolerant” saying “dressing is matter of taste”. She too recalled that when women entered the House in long trousers, questions were raised but the matter was sorted out and the trend was accepted.

“On a personal level, one may not admire (the dressing style); but we’ve got to let people to get on with their business, unless it is offensive. I urge you to stand for liberty,” she told the Deputy Speaker.

Mr Imanyara cited the traditional dressing of the Maasai elder who prays in Parliament at every State Opening and wondered how the House can allow the elder with earrings and reject one of their own.

But acting Government whip Johnstone Muthama said Mr Mbuvi’s dressing carried negative connotations.

“I can’t come here in a skirt, but a woman can. For a man to wear earrings, it means something is not good, it points to bad manners,” Mr Muthama said.

Mr Olago Aluoch (Kisumu Town West, ODM) reckoned that the dressing was “not acceptable” on the floor of the House.

After that, the Deputy Speaker cited the Speaker’s rules on the dressing of MPs and ruled the MP as being inappropriately dressed. The MP then cheekily removed the stud earrings and the sunglasses.

After that the House went on with its sittings. The attire for male MPs, according to the Speaker’s rules is: Long trouser, jacket (coat), tie, long-sleeved shirt, socks, closed shoes.