This archive report was first published on 19 September 2019.
On Wednesday, Kenyan entertainer Esther Akoth, aka Akothee, caused a stir in Parliament after she walked in dressed in a green miniskirt suit, which failed to meet the standards set by the Speaker's rules.
According to the Speaker's rules, MPs, members of the press, and guests are required to dress properly, which includes a coat, collar, tie, long-sleeved shirt, long trousers, socks, and shoes or a service uniform for men, and decent formal or business wear for women.
Akothee, who was in Parliament at the invitation of nominated MP David Sankok, was clad in the green miniskirt suit, which led to a frenzy among the parliamentary orderlies as to how they would handle the situation.
Ms. Akothee's host, Mr. Sankok, led her to the members' dining room, but the door was immediately slammed shut by one of the female orderlies. A swarm of green commandos (the sergeant-at-arms) had already milled around.
After a moment of pleading by Mr. Sankok with the orderlies, Akothee was ushered into the corner on the way to the dining room, but on condition that she covers herself with a leso that was provided to her to cover her thighs. At first, Akothee resisted the leso.
Interventions by women MPs Rachael Nyamai (Kitui South) and Soipan Tuya (Narok County Woman Representative) eventually yielded results, and Akothee overlaid the fabric on her short skirt before she was allowed to dine with her host.
On March 13, 2019, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi ordered that MPs, members of the press, and guests shall not enter the chamber, lounges, dining room, or committee rooms without being properly dressed.
After about an hour of her meeting in the dining room, Ms. Akothee emerged ecstatic, in stark contrast to the drama that greeted her.
"The problem is that my legs are taller than my skirt," she said, noting that the meeting was about her foundation, Akothee Foundation, and its commitment to assist the starving people of Turkana.
Mr. Sankok defended her dress code, saying it was appropriate and should not have gone through the drama.
"It's me who picked her at the gate so that she could get time to talk to the members about her foundation and the good things she is doing to the society," Mr. Sankok said.
