Kanzu

A kanzu is a white or cream coloured robe worn by men in the African Great Lakes region.

The major center of kanzu knitting and production is Mende, Uganda but are widely sold around the central business district in Kampala in places such as Kiyembe, Nakivubo and other assorted shops.

Among the Swahili men of Tanzania and Kenya, the kanzu is always worn with a suit jacket, blazer, or sport coat.

[6] For formal wear a Tanzanian man will don a kanzu, a suit jacket, and a kofia (cap).

For informal events, a Saudi manufactured thobe with a mandarin collar or the dashiki shirt and a kofia is the traditional attire.

In Kenya, it is customary for Tribal chiefs and Muslim Imams to wear a black bisht with the kanzu when attending a formal event.

[7] In fact, many Kenyan men wear European suits or tuxedos for weddings and other formal events.

[8] In Kenya, male Members of the Parliament are required to wear a European style suit to sessions.

[9] In West Africa, similar yet highly distinct clothing are worn by predominantly Sahelian peoples.

[5] The groomsmen and other men who are members of the wedding party wear the kanzu with a suit jacket.

In Uganda, the groom wears a suit jacket on top of the kanzu, and the bride's attire is the gomesi.

[1] In Tanzania and Kenya, the bride's attire is a white wedding dress or the West African boubou.

[6] Use of wedding attire characteristic of the Great Lakes region has spread throughout the African diaspora.