WARDROBE ABUSE:  The Deteriorating Civil Service and Unparliamentary Dress Code that Demeans Official Etiquette

When initially the issue of the Deteriorating dress code of Uganda’s civil service and Parliament, came to light some time back, it was addressed in a flush.

The quest for the civil service to better the issue was addressed by some ministries and other bodies introducing uniformity, by introducing self-branded wear, for example, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Civil Aviation Authority, and Uganda Revenue Authority among several others.

While in Parliament, the then Speaker Hon.Rebecca Kadaga, was known for reprimanding members that seemed to abuse the officially set parliamentary dress code.

However, six years later after a seemingly smooth process of change for the better seems to have once again hit rock bottom.

Gone are the immaculate attires or the parliamentary suits/dress code, a sad reality that has caught the eye of the deputy speaker Hon. Thomas Tayebwa.

He has since promised to address the issue and set punitive measures for those who bluntly try and abuse it in parliament.

Shaping Public Perception of Government Bodies

Personally, I have come across civil servants dressed in what we call balance (you know those sagging pants below in between the bum and hip area) that is treasured by teenagers (the style of high school students).

This sad reality has since bogged my mind into the uniform or choice of business attire to match a company brand or image, employee morale, and customer perception. 

It should be noted that a well-designed uniform communicates professionalism, fosters a sense of unity, and reinforces your brand identity.

This can be particularly important for government bodies such as police, the army and hospitals etc, where the appearance of staff impacts the perception of the institution as a whole.

Uniformed government bodies that are extremely smart in their uniform like the. Immigration officers at the internal affairs with their top white shirts and the green outfits, have always nailed it, are extremely smart, and have since maintained their dress code right from day one, this website ranks them No- one (01). 

From a survey carried out recently, the public agreed, that indeed the environment, dress code, and uniform perfectly suited the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which outfit has also been maintained at all times by its immigration offices across border points. They’re amongst the best-dressed and smartest government body. 

The Ministry of Health ranked second with its white dresses for the female nurses, the uniform reflects the cleanliness of their job as other departments like anesthesia, etc too have a matching color for the same.