List of Universities in Kenya with strict dress codes

Piece by: MERCY MURIITHI
Lifestyle

• The youth are always trying to keep up with the latest clothing trends but Universities are out to stop the trends 

In many Kenyan universities, the dress code guidelines are generally modest and professional. 

But recently, the dress code of university-going students has kept on evolving as times go by.

The youth are always trying to keep up with the latest clothing trends.

 This has over time been criticized by many as most of the students keep deviating from traditional modest and professional to fashion decent. 

In regards to this, a few Kenyan Universities have seen it best to introduce guidelines or expectations regarding dress codes for their students. 

Some of the common dressing guidelines that have been put into place over the recent years include neat and clean attire, and avoiding revealing or provocative clothing. 

A few of such universities with strict guidelines include,

Strathmore University in Nairobi

The university takes the prize for one of the strictest dress codes in the county. The institution has 'fashion cops' stationed at the gate who scrutinize the attire of students and visitors alike.

The institution has a formal dress code that requires students to wear business attire on campus.

Jeans, tight clothing, and sleeveless tops are banned with only trousers and skirt suits deemed acceptable for women and shirts and formal wear for the gents.

Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA)

The university requires its students to avoid wearing clothing that is too casual or revealing and is neat. 

To this mandate, the university banned the wearing of crop tops, ragged jeans, low neckline tops, miniskirts, bare backs, and tights. 

The institution further prohibits female students from wearing nose rings, dreadlocks non-moderate makeup, and strong perfume. 

The gents are also prohibited from wearing accessories like earrings, and caps during classes, plaiting hair as well, and use of moderately strong perfumes. 

Kabarak University

The institution, which is owned by former president Moi's family, banned miniskirts, skin tights, ragged jeans, crop tops, bum shorts, and transparent dresses.

The institution has further imposed a Wednesday chapel dress code that requires all ladies to be clad in modest skirts and dresses and warned male students from sporting plaited hair, dreadlocks, and earrings.

Mount Kenya University 

The university's policy prohibits students from wearing clothes that would in any way show their private body parts i.e. miniskirts, bare backs, sagged trousers, see-through.

Male students were barred from accessing the school premises if they had ungroomed hair.

Daystar University 

This university has a modesty policy that encourages students to dress in a manner that is decent and respectful. According to the institution handbook, female students are prohibited from wearing dresses and skirts that are above the knee line, miniskirts, necklines that are four inches below the shoulders, body-tight trousers, bare backs, crop tops, and see-throughs. students are expected not to wear revealing or provocative clothing.

Masinde Muliro University

The institution has a dress code where they have banned students from wearing miniskirts, crocs, slippers, ragged jeans, t-shirts with obscene writings, skin tights, plastic shoes, low cut blouses and dresses, micro shorts, transparent dresses, sleeveless t-shirts and attires that show bra straps, and sagging of trousers by boys terming the attires unofficial.

University of Eldoret. 

In their imposed dress code, the facility banned mini skirts, ragged trousers, skin-tight trousers, crop tops, bum shorts, transparent dresses, attires revealing chests for the boys, and sagging trousers.

Kenya Methodist University

For the institution, male students were banned from wearing dreadlocks, plaited hair, earrings, untucked shirts, vests that show bar chests, and hats/ caps in classes.

The female students were barred from wearing crop tops, bareback, miniskirts, transparent dresses, and sleeveless shirts among others.

United States International University (USIU)

USIU has a business casual dress code policy that promotes modesty and professionalism. students are expected to dress neatly and decently, avoiding clothing that is too casual or revealing.

These are a few examples, there are other universities with such strict dress codes, the likes of Nazarene. 

 Moi University joined the list recently.

In their statement, the university banned the wearing of Tumbo Cuts, Mini Skirts, Skin-Tight Trousers, ragged or Ripped jeans, Blouses or T-shirts low-cut blouses or dresses, and other indecent dress codes. 

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