Boots, caps, silk shirts... Hassan Joho's casual dressing rattles, upsets established order as he joins government

Most government leaders and figures have traditionally dispensed their duties while wearing the Western-style office suit - complete with a tie of choice and a boutonnière for some razzle-dazzle.

Except on some informal occasions, or during special ceremonies - religious, etc - all the Presidents (and Cabinet Ministers) of Kenya have stepped out in their sleek suits, perfectly buttoned-up and with a clean-cut image to boot.

So serious is the norm that, when Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua was announced as President Ruto's running mate, there was an urgent need to overhaul his wardrobe and align it to that of a man of the office he was to assume. Within months, tailors were sourced and the DP would soon hit the streets looking all suave and sharp - of course, in suits.

Despite the universal propensity for this well-manicured, governmental image, some figures have still found it hard to conform and shed their usual style, case in point, current Cabinet Secretary for Mining Hassan Ali Joho.

Joho's announcement to the not-so-critical docket immediately brought out some hushed tones, with many unable to reconcile Joho's behavioural gruffness to the much more nuanced Cabinet position.

But it appears like the former Mombasa Governor, known for his rambunctious style of leadership and gusty approach to governance, could not wait to assume office and hit the ground running - the best way he knew how.

All his foibles notwithstanding, the colourful son of the Coast seems to have settled in nicely in his new role except that he still is unable to shrug off his casual look - and suit up.

Except on select occasions where he had no choice but to don the good old suit, Joho appears intent on maintaining his casual wear and look - fitting Hawaii shirts, khaki pants, the occasional designer cap, sleek loafers and that evocative trademark beard.

Being a Kenyan Cabinet Secretary may mean that one needs to drown into a dreary dam of formal vestments, to appear "serious and mature" in their vaunted role but Joho appears not too intent on overhauling his wardrobe architecture to either please his bosses or sending a message across.

His rather happy-go-lucky attitude has even caught the ire of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who, at a public event just recently, admonished him for his penchant for wearing caps, while also asking him to check his look 'in front of the President'.

"We will have some issues getting used to working with these (newcomers). Joho is still saying he's the ODM deputy party leader. He's also saying being a CS is tough... Joho, you'll need to quickly change and catch up. Next time you attend a meeting, I'll have a quick chat with you and ask you not to wear a cap in front of the President... You are now a CS... " Gachagua told a gathering.

But Joho, the laissez-faire politician and avid lover of life's finest things, sees no problem with being himself, dressing as he wishes, flaunting his uber-pricey garage and being politic's swashbuckling rebel.

His nonconformist flair, of course, is definitely disrupting the formalistic beliefs of the likes of Gachagua and his ilk, but Joho, who has theatrically towered over Coastal politics for over a decade, probably sees nothing wrong in dressing lavishly and still, appending his signature to an official deal or two.

Also, you really cannot tame what he chooses to say in public. Unlike his Cabinet peers, Joho's speeches do not have to travel through a filtered tunnel of officialism - he is a frivolous speaker, and as such, his words must not conform.

To everyone else, he's 'Mheshimiwa Bwana Waziri', but to himself, and his bosom peeps, he's still the same old flamboyant chap who doesn't need to be bossed around, policed, reminded of his duties or patronized.

And he sure doesn't need to be told how far he can roll up his sleeve or what Italian designer to rock on a Thursday.

By joining the government of the day, it may be assumed that Joho has now exited the political upheavals of the opposition - but one thing is for sure, his dalliance with the President does not necessarily mean he has fully shed the python muscle he has so effortlessly used in the past to constrict his political foes.

He may be Waziri for now. But watch out for the tone, the dressing and the pronouncements. Like Donald Trump, the notorious New York playboy, the West Wing just doesn't change a man that fast.