A light moment played out in the Senate Wednesday after Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua protested what he termed a breach of the House dress code by nominated Senator Karen Nyamu.
Wambua, rising on a point of order, insisted that the dignity of the House must be upheld and warned against allowing casual dressing, which he said could set a bad precedent.
He urged the Speaker to strictly apply the rules to ensure members appear formally dressed when attending sittings.
"Mr Speaker, have you seen Senator Karen Nyamu and the way she is dressed today," he posed.
Nyamu who was accompanied by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargey had walked into the chambers with one side of the jacket worn and the rest hanging loose.
“Mr Speaker, we can forgive today, but you must enforce the rules in this House. Next time I will walk in with my jacket hanging on my shoulder and I will demand that you take precedent of what has happened," said Wambua.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi promptly ruled Senator Nyamu out of order, cautioning her against flouting the chamber’s dress code.
“Senator Karen, you are out of order violating the Speaker’s rules. You cannot walk into the chambers dressed in that manner,” he said.
“I will give you a warning for today, if you repeat the same thing, I will have to ask you to leave the chambers.”
The Speaker reminded senators to observe the House’s dress standards, warning that any further breach would attract disciplinary action.
The Speaker’s Rules (Revised) 2017 stipulate that members are required, whenever they are in the chambers, lounge or dining room to always be appropriately dressed meaning suits for men, while women are expected to don full-sleeved suits.
The rules further state that a male member shall be dressed in a coat, collar, tie, long trousers, socks and shoes, or service uniform, religious attire, or such other decent dressing as may be approved by the Speaker from time to time, one of the rules states.
Female counterparts are also not allowed to wear African attire such as kitenge.
