NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 26 — Shocking revelations before the National Assembly Sports and Culture Committee have shown that the country has budgeted Sh100 million to design a national dress despite spending Sh50 million on a similar dress.
Following the disclosure of the failed initiative that spent millions, the National Assembly Sports and Culture Committee has insisted it will not approve the expenditure for the renewed effort.
Principal Secretary for Culture and Heritage, Ummi Bashir, who had promissed a national dress within a year, informed MPs that they are awaiting the Sh100 million disbursement to kickstart the process of designing the national dress.
Director of Culture in the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, Kiprop Lagat, explained that the funds would be used in a rigorous exercise that includes design, public participation, and national validation.
“A national dress is an attire recognized by the citizens of a country as a symbol that encapsulates national diversity, identity, and the civilization of a country, thereby enhancing national pride and cohesion while embedding the values and ethos of a nation,” Lagat said.
Boardrom decision
PS Bashir explained that the first attempt to design a national dress failed because it was a boardroom decision that wasn’t subjected to public participation and was imposed on Kenyans.
The initiative, which began in 2004, was spearheaded by the then Minister of Culture and Heritage, Najib Balala.
“It was a boardroom decision made without engaging the end users and stakeholders. This time, we are involving counties and different designers to ensure we come up with the best design,” she said.
Lagat further told the House committee that the Ksh. 100 million will be utilized to design several national dresses, considering the diversity of the country.
“It’s not necessarily true that we need to have just one national dress. We could have a variety that represents the diversity we have in this country,” he said.
The Director of Culture emphasized that this time the ministry intends to do things differently, by involving more than one designer and conducting national validation before releasing the attire to the public.
“Some designs could be unique to specific parts of the country, and some counties might decide to adopt a particular style as their official dress,” he added.
Source: capitalfm
