This week's source of light relief is the 35-year-old Kenyan MP who was thrown out of parliament on Tuesday for accessorising his suit with some bling in the form of dark glasses and ear studs.
Gidion Mbuvi aka "Sonko" (Swahili term describing a rich and flamboyant person) has vowed to fight back and overhaul parliament's outdated, old-fashioned dress code, as well as the mentality of Kenyan politicians.
"I represent the youths who elected me to parliament," he told the BBC. "I'm trying to prove to the world that it is the right time for the youth to be in charge of our nation."
MPs, said Mbuvi, should be allowed to wear jewellery and other "extras" as long as they also wear suits.
We wish him luck, though frankly he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting bling accepted in what is one of the country's most sartorially conservative venues, and that holds for any country, regardless of the average age of the MPs or the generation to which they belong. Dress codes become more relaxed over time, but
We are, however, kinda curious about the other "extras" Mbuvi has in mind. What could those be, do you think?
WHY DO KENYAN MPS WEAR SUITS?
On a more serious note, why do Kenya's male MPs wear suits and ties, anyway? This isn't a rant about "colonial" dress but rather about comfort and practicality, and also about looking good.
In hot countries it's more comfortable to wear loose, pale-coloured, cotton clothing, which is what you see in the Middle East. Nairobi isn't as hot as anywhere in the Middle East, but it's still on the warm side (daytime temperatures can reach 26 degrees Celsius around this time of year), and I bet the MPs would feel more comfortable is they didn't have to choke themselves with ties and steam themselves in suits. Even something like the Nehru jacket spotted by the Indian speaker in this BBC clip would be more comfortable, and smart. And, no offence to male Kenyan MPs, but they generally just don't look so good in suits, which could well be because they're missing the comfort factor I'm talking about.
What do you think? Should Kenya's male MPs ditch the suits for something looser and more comfortable? And if so, what?
