- National Assembly Speaker ordered Mogotio MP Reuben Kiborek out of chambers for dressing inappropriately
- He respected the Speaker’s ruling but vowed to table a motion to address the colonial parliamentary dress code
- Kiborek, donned at Parliament buildings with an attire resembling the recently President William Ruto’s sharp kaunda suit
Mogotio Member of Parliament Hon Reuben Kiborek threatened to table a motion in parliament ejecting colonial dress code that has deprived many African countries right of culture
Addressing journalists immediately after he was ordered out of chambers for dressing inappropriately by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Kiborek said that Kenyan Parliament should get rid of western culture that has forced African Parliamentarians continue to putting britain dress coat
“You know ukijaribu kukuza uchumi ya afrika na hapa kenya unaambiwa it’s not parliamentary, am dressed in a panafrican spirit like Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and Mwalimu Nyerere of Tanzania, President William Ruto who looks very smart and sharp.
“Kwaivyo hii bunge lazima iheshimu nguo za afrika na za hapa kwetu Kenya ili tujenge uchumi yetu.
The young legislator warned that he is going to table a motion in parliament so that the spirit of panafricanism can be detected in Kenyan Parliament.
“We must waken the spirit of Kwame Nkurumah, the spirit of Thomas Sankare, the spirit of Robert Bukwe, the spirit of comrade Mugambe, the spirit of Oliver Tumbo and those great giant of Africa who wanted to liberate African from the ownership of the land to capital to take even dressing code.
He further said that Members of Parliament don’t have to dress like a Mzungu so to be a parliamentarian, “We have to remove the standing order in future and make sure that the matters of wig and necktie which is a more britain and more of colonialism or imperialist on our side is rooted off.
Ni lazima tuvae kama waafrika, tutembee kama waafrika, saa zingine unavaa wig mingi mpaka unakaa mzungu na wewe sio mzungu,”.
Kiborek questioned the rationale of speakers of the assemblies putting on ropes which are made from United Kingdom whereas they reject those are made from Africa
“Ni kwa nini tusikuza mila na desturi zetu, kwani nini nguo zetu ambazo zimetengezwa hapa Kenya tunaambiwa sio parliamentary. Leo nguo ambayo nimepromote fundi ya hapa Kenya ambaye amepata riziki na watoto wake wamepata kitu kidogo naambiwa nimekosea.
Mbona zile manguo zingine which is worth Ksh 300 Million to Ksh 500 Million zenye mnasema ziko sawa zimetoka Turkey na Italy lakini tukivaa za hapa Kenya mnakataa? He questioned angrily
The first term legislator wondered how why neck ties has to be part and parcel of the mandatory dress code in parliament
However, he said that speaker of the National Assembly acknowledged his kaunda suit saying that was smar and more of presidential look
I respect the speaker’s ruling, he’s a good man because he based on a standing order which I agree with it because it makes sense. “However, we have a problem in Africa, that we must look and dress like a white men for you to be a parliamentary,” he wondered
He rejected the push for African Members of Parliament being forced to dress like British and look like a commonwealth parliament, thanks to countries like Ghana whom have defied the order and dressed like Africans
He also reminded Kenyan Parliament to emulate South Africa and Nigeria as well as Indian Parliament which has changed their standing orders and started putting on casual attires devoid of colonial imperialism
“When you go to our courts you find judges wearing white robes and those gowns, I think it’s high time we must live as Africans and do our things as Africans,” He stated