That President William Ruto has always been a stylish man is not something in doubt; whether he’s donning a tuxedo suit compounded with a godfather hat at his daughter’s wedding, or sporting Ankara tops while tossing political missiles at his opponents during campaigns, the son of Sugoi cleans up well, and always shows out whenever he shows up.
The President has recently begun turning up his fashion sense a notch, switching from the regular, more formal suit and tie featuring black blazers and white shirts and red ties, to the less drab Kaunda suits.
Over the past two weeks, the Head of State has turned heads after making public appearances in the suit that is originally said to have originated in Australia in the 1970s, but was made more popular in the continent by the first President of Zambia, the late Kenneth Kaunda.
Kaunda loved and wore that suit to all his functions, so much so that it was eventually even picked up by fellow African leaders.
During an interview before his death, Kaunda told the story of how he met the late former Tanzania President Julius Nyerere also wearing the same suit, and the latter revealed to him that it was Kenyan tailors who had christened it the ‘Kaunda suit.’
“Julius Nyerere and I were meeting one day in Mbeya, we were having a meeting of Frontline States. He was dressed in my suit, I was wearing my suit. And he said ‘you know, these Kenyan people are very business-minded and they’re cautious. He said they said, ‘now we can’t reach Kaunda, and if he finds that we’re using his suit in business, he will sue us. So what we do is, let’s call it Kaunda suit, so that Kaunda doesn’t get angry when he sees it,’” he narrated in the undated clip.
President Ruto first stepped out in the Kaunda suit during a State visit to Djibouti on June 11, 2023, and elicited mixed reactions from Kenyans online in the process.
And, just as everyone was thinking it was just an experiment, a one-time thing, and that maybe he would not pull it off again, he just did.
The Commander-in-Chief on Thursday addressed two functions in Naivasha; the 4th Engineering Partnerships Convention and the Kenya Urban Forum, both clad in a neat black Kaunda suit.
And, as always, Kenyans online had a few things to say about it;
President William Ruto looks good with this kaunda Suit@WilliamsRuto pic.twitter.com/Fwloaef1DW
— Nicky Mureithi (@MureithiNicky) June 14, 2023
What is with this kaunda suti thing? Decoding the messaging is quite something…. I hope this narrative doesn’t go south. But it looks good on you president William Ruto and Dennis Itumbi. pic.twitter.com/uaMq4YduXI
— Elijah Okemwa (@elijahnokemwa) June 14, 2023
Ruto decided to drop suits ever since someone whispered to him that in the spirit of Pan Africanism he must copy Kenneth Kaunda, and now he has made it his uniform. pic.twitter.com/gSRPTFI6Cv
— ZëitGêî§T ™ ♔ (@simeonominde) June 14, 2023
Hii kaunda suti ya President William Ruto ni noma bwana! pic.twitter.com/a3sUcSwGWu
— Elijah Okemwa (@elijahnokemwa) June 14, 2023
President William Samoei Ruto has joined #KennedyMurithiBundi and @StephenLetoo kaunda suit movement.
The difference is his tailor does a better job.
My tailor Alfred Okoth, pick some lessons. #sundayvibes pic.twitter.com/EApkXMHg7z
— Kennedy murithi (@murithi_kenn) June 11, 2023
President William Ruto looks good in Kaunda Suit. pic.twitter.com/e249nL5tGa— THE BLACK PEN (@TheAfricanPen) June 11, 2023
