Kenya's decades-long quest for a national dress

By Kevin Momanyi

The authorities in Kenya have embarked on a second attempt in search of a national dress.

Officials said a sum of 100 million Kenyan shillings ($775,000) has been budgeted for the hunt of a national attire.

The winning designs are expected to be unveiled in October, according to the country's ministry of culture.

“A national dress is an attire that is recognised by the citizens of a country as a dress that encapsulates the national diversity, national identity and the civilization of a country, that enhances national pride cohesion and also embeds the values and ethos of a nation,” said Kiprop Lagat, a director at the ministry.

The failure of the first attempt back in 2004 was due to lack of sufficient public participation as the final decision was determined by members of a select committee, according to officials.

Priority question

More effort has been put this time round to involve and engage Kenyans in the process, said the ministry's principal secretary Ummi Bashir.

Officials have told lawmakers that given Kenya's diversity of ethnic identities, several designs could be fronted as opposed to just one.

“It’s not necessarily true that we could have just one national dress, but we could have a variety that would be representative of the diversity that we have in this country,” Lagat added.

There are mixed reactions to the initiative. Some have questioned whether it was a priority as Kenyans continue to struggle with a high cost of living crisis.

"100 million Kenya shillings set aside for a Kenyan national dress after the last one failed? Can someone explain what this is about and how exactly it benefits the average Kenyan? We have bigger issues that need addressing," Martin Wachira, a resident of the capital, Nairobi, tells TRT Afrika.

Rich culture

"That is a good idea by the government. We need a dress that symbolises Kenya’s deep and rich culture and traditions," says Wilson Sampeua resident of Nakuru county.

Neighbouring Tanzania has also been struggling with developing a design for a national dress, with government-led attempts failing to secure an enduring result.

An ongoing effort has seen nearly 2,450 stakeholders and residents from across the country offer suggestions to a committee established to oversee the creation of a national attire.

Other countries in the East African region, including Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda, do not have officially designated national attires.

However, some traditional attires from across ethnic groups are considered as national attires during state functions and cultural events.

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