The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared Friday as Kenyan/African attire day, and government officers, as well as the general public, have been urged to adopt African dress codes in a bid to promote culture and heritage.
Political and Diplomatic Secretary Tom Amolo, in a memo to Directors, Heads of Departments and various units, stated that "Africaness" should be leveraged as a tool for diplomacy.
"We brand our nation as much through our choice of attire, as what we may say or do," Amolo wrote.
He noted that Kenya was home to various fabrics and fashion styles, but urged state officers to embrace attire from all parts of Africa.
"The ethos of this re-engagement speaks to an assertion of an affirmative African narrative that defines our Africaness and insists that at its core, its manifestations and reflections - being African is best," he expressed.
[caption caption="Tom Amolo with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari"]
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Amolo disclosed that the programme was meant to increase awareness on Kenya's culture as well as generate interest in the country's heritage.
The diplomat further highlighted that cultural diplomacy was being practised all over the world but had not been fully explored in Kenya.
"Clothing is a tool for self-expression, social activism and public diplomacy. World leaders often wear traditional clothing to interact with foreign publics and to advance cultural understanding," the memo read in part.
A project launched in 2004 to create a National Dress failed miserably.
The process was said to be rushed as designers accused the government of seeking to impose a single design on the people.
[caption caption="Ministry of Foreign Affairs offices in Nairobi"]
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