After various debates and fracas erupted at the Embu County Assembly over the dress code of some members, the Speaker has finally taken action.
Embu Speaker Josiah Thiriku has prohibited miniskirts, tight leggings and indecent clothes at the Assembly.
Addressing members of the County Assembly, Thiriku stated that they will only be allowed to conduct legislative business if dressed appropriately.
“All MCAs will henceforth only dress in official skirt or trouser suit, shirt, trousers and formal shoes. Any casual clothing, while attending assembly plenary or committee sittings, will not be allowed,” directed the Speaker.
Decent attires
In the directive, the Speaker added that decent African dressing for men and women, as well as Islamic attire for male ward reps, would also be allowed into the Assembly. He, however, said the religious regalia must be worn inside a formal jacket.
This comes after Nominated MCA Judy Mbuya was last week ruled out of order by temporary Speaker Phillip Nzangi for wearing a dress deemed as indecent by colleagues.
Some MCAs said her dressing exposed her lower abdomen and part of her backside, causing her to keep pulling it up to cover up exposed body parts.
Others claimed she caused a lot of physical discomfort to her colleagues.
Borrowing from Kaparo
“Mr Speaker some of my counterparts are too uncomfortable even to stand to contribute to House debate. The offending MCA should be sent out of the Assembly chambers,” Kyeni North MCA Salesio Kimaru said.
The Speaker said the new order was expected to end the wrangles experienced in the past concerning the dressing of some MCAs.
Thiriku said the precedence was borrowed from a ruling made by former National Assembly Speaker Francis ole Kaparo.