Students arriving at Kampala International University (KIU) this week were met by security officers checking their outfits, as the university began enforcing a dress code that rules out miniskirts, sagging trousers, and Crocs and other casual footwear.
Enforcement started on Wednesday, October 7, one day after the Office of the Vice Chancellor issued a circular asking students and staff to keep a modest, neat and professional appearance on campus.
On the first day, students judged to be inappropriately dressed were pulled aside at the gates and warned about the new rules.
What’s off-limits
According to the October 6 circular, the following are not allowed on KIU premises:
- Skirts and dresses that end above the knee
- Torn or damaged clothing
- Trousers worn below the waist (sagging)
- Bathroom slippers, Crocs and plastic beach-style footwear
The rules apply to both students and staff across the university.
What happens if you break them
Security officers can refuse entry to anyone they consider improperly dressed. Students and staff who repeatedly break the rules will be sent to their disciplinary committees.
The university has not said how long the enforcement drive will last, but the circular presents the dress code as part of KIU’s standing rules of conduct rather than a one-off campaign.
The bigger debate
The move is likely to reignite an old argument at Ugandan universities over how much say institutions should have in what adult students wear. Some, especially those with a religious foundation or professional programmes such as law, already set dress requirements, while others like Makerere have largely left dress to students and relied on general conduct rules instead.
CampusBee has contacted KIU for comment on how the rules will be applied and whether students were consulted, and will update this story.
KIU students, is the new dress code fair? Tell us. @campusbee.ug
