Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa launches a classroom at Daraja Mungu Primary school [BARASA/X]Residents of Kimilili were on Friday treated to an unusual sight as their MP, Didmus Barasa, arrived at Daraja Mungu Primary School dressed not in his usual sharp suits or the trademark red fez-style hat, but in a complete school uniform.
In photos shared on his official X handle, Barasa is seen wearing a crisp white school shirt tucked into a brownish pair of shorts, a black tie neatly knotted at the collar, and, strikingly, no shoes.
The shorts appeared to have a deliberately torn-out style at the back, lending the outfit a rugged authenticity.
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa addresses residents and pupils in uniform [BARASA/X]In one image, Barasa stands before rows of pupils and residents, addressing them barefoot in the scorching sun.
Another photo captures him digging the earth with an axe as he plants a commemorative tree along the school compound, still clad in the uniform.
A third shows him cutting a ribbon to commission the newly built classrooms at the school.
The absence of his signature fez hat, long a symbol of his political brand, made the look even more dramatic.
Barasa accompanied the photos with a reflective caption explaining why he had chosen to dress like a pupil.
“Wearing the school uniform at Daraja Mungu Primary during the commissioning of 8 modern classrooms was more than just a gesture; it was an awakening,” he wrote.
He said the act carried him back to the humble beginnings of every child in pursuit of education, making him feel the resilience of learners.
"In that uniform, I felt the silent struggles, the burning dreams, and the unbreakable resilience of our learners," he stated.
The legislator added that the event reminded him that investing in modern, dignified classrooms is “not about buildings, but about hope, dignity, and the future of our children.”
Barasa noted that many pupils attend school on an empty stomach and bare feet, yet still dare to dream of a better life.
He urged Kenyans not to allow such circumstances to “kill their dream of becoming who they desire to be.”
