The Kenyan Parliament has placed a ban on the use of an iconic suit, known popularly as the “Kaunda Suit”, which was made popular by late legendary Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda.

The ban on the Kaunda Suit, which is dearly loved by President William Ruto, was announced on Wednesday by Speaker of Parliament, Moses Wetangula, who said both the Kaunda suits and traditional African attires were no longer permissible within its premises.

Wetangula attributed the ban to emerging fashion trends that posed a challenge to the established parliamentary dress code, emphasizing a prescribed dress code for men, “including a coat, collar, tie, long-sleeved shirt, long trousers, socks, shoes, or service uniform.”

For women, the guidelines, according to the Speaker, would specifically be “business, formal, or smart casual wear with skirts and dresses below knee-length and sleeveless blouses prohibited.”

Acknowledging the past tolerance of the Kaunda suit in parliament, Wetangula emphasized the need to halt the practice to preserve the parliamentary dress code.

The Kaunda Suit has, in recent times, gained attention on social media in Kenya due to President Ruto’s frequent appearances in it during official functions.

Ruto has been seen frequently donning the Kaunda Suit during official functions, thereby contributing to its popularity among the political elite in Kenya and in Africa.

The Kaunda Suit, which is characterized by a safari jacket and matching trousers, drew its name from the late father of modern Zambia who played a pivotal role in making it a fashion statement.

Kaunda’s fondness for the style saw the outfit named after him in many parts of Africa, with many prominent leaders taking after him.

Kenyans were, however, the first to name the Safari Suits after Kaunda because of the way he promoted them.

The South African Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa, has announced the inaugural South African Creative Arts Awards which is scheduled to hold between March and April next year.

Making the announcement on Tuesday at a news conference, Kodwa said the awards would be bestowed on South Africans and literary creatives in various sub-domains who exhibited outstanding artistic and technical outstanding achievement.

“It will be the most desired recognition in the South African creative industry,” said Kodwa.

“The awards will be exclusively for creatives from across cultural domains who push boundaries of their creative abilities and show devotion to excellence,” the minister added.

The announcement of the Creative Arts Awards is coming a few weeks after the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism, and Environmental Affairs withdrew support for hosting the South African Music Industry Council (SAMIC) Awards, also known as SAMAS.