Prominent city lawyer Nelson Havi, on Thursday, March 20, hit out at Kenyans criticizing First Lady Rachel Ruto over her dressing.
Through a statement, Havi weighed in on the ongoing online discourse regarding President William Ruto’s spouse, who faced backlash over her outfit during a state banquet hosted for Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.
“Let the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya be herself. She is a respectable, modest, and elegant matriarch. Go concentrate on your wives or yourself if you are a woman,” Havi asserted.
While the event, held on Wednesday, March 18, was a formal diplomatic gathering, Rachel Ruto’s outfit became a topic of discussion among Kenyans. Many took to social media to comment on her choice of attire, which stood out during the high-profile occasion.
The First Lady wore a long black dress with fringed embroidered detailing and long sleeves, a style commonly worn by women in the UAE.
Rachel paired it with a white pearl necklace and elegant black heels with a touch of silver. She then completed the look with a small black clutch bag.
Photos and videos of the event quickly surfaced online, drawing mixed reactions. Some praised her for the sophisticated look, while others debated whether the outfit was appropriate for the occasion.
Many were of the opinion that the dress worn by the First Lady was not appropriate for a state banquet but rather for a more sombre event.
“The Kenyan First Lady’s outfit leans more towards a sombre Sunday service than the elegance and glamour expected at a state banquet,” one Kenyan opined on X. “Dress is a (diplomatic) statement,” another emphasised.
Rachel’s outfit prompted another media house to do a piece on her wardrobe, further contributing to the already heated debate. The piece centred on her affinity for kitenge dresses which the article stated left fashion critics divided.
The bone of contention was whether the kitenge dresses fit the dress code associated with most official state events that Rachel often attends. Kenyans critical of her outfits argued that her office demands a balance between cultural representation and diplomatic grace, requiring a more sophisticated approach to dressing.
Rachel’s fashion sense was compared to that of her predecessor, Margaret Kenyatta, whom many—both within and outside the fashion space—regarded as the best-dressed First Lady in Kenya’s history.
Many credited Margaret for seamlessly blending her personal style with the expectations of a First Lady, noting that even in non-formal or semi-formal events, her outfits were consistently elegant and flattering.
