Police officers across the country are set to trade in their deep navy-blue uniform, introduced under former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018, for a new design that President William Ruto will formally unveil this Friday during a passing-out parade at the Kiganjo Police Training College in Nyeri County.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja confirmed the change on Tuesday while inspecting final rehearsals ahead of the ceremony, where more than 6,000 police constables are set to graduate.
“We have been using the blue, the deep blue one, so we have just reverted back to the one that was agreed upon. I must note that on Monday, I will also be in that one,” he said.
The graduating recruits will be the first to wear the new outfit, a light-blue shirt paired with navy blue trousers, before it is gradually rolled out to General Duty officers nationwide starting Monday, August 31, and continuing in phases across the country in the following weeks.
Administration Police Service and General Service Unit personnel, however, will retain their current uniforms for now, with the change limited specifically to the Kenya Police Service.
Kanja said the switch was designed to lift morale and strengthen service delivery among officers, describing the new attire as something of a “force multiplier” for the police service. The decision follows a 2023 public participation exercise in which the National Police Service gathered views from both officers and members of the public on the existing uniform, feedback that came back largely unfavourable.
Most respondents, officers and civilians alike, said they were uncomfortable with the deep blue design introduced in 2018, which the government had at the time promoted as sleeker and more practical. In practice, the outfit drew persistent criticism over the years from the public, service officers and politicians alike, with many mocking its resemblance to a church choir uniform rather than a police force’s official dress.
Some observers pointing out that it appears to run counter to recommendations made by the police reforms task force chaired by retired Chief Justice David Maraga. That task force had specifically called for the NPS to revert entirely to its old, pre-2018 uniform for a three-year period, during which a new design would be properly developed in line with its recommendations.
“As regards the NPS uniforms, in line with the overwhelming view of the public, police officers themselves and leadership of the NPS, the task force recommends that the NPS reverts to its old uniform for three years, during which designing a new uniform should start in accordance with the recommendations in this report,” the task force said in its report.
It further proposed that the Cabinet Secretaries for Defence and Interior draft legislation establishing a National Uniforms Committee, made up of representatives from the disciplined and security services tasked with approving uniform standards, colours and quality across agencies, as well as addressing unauthorised public use of official uniforms.
The Maraga task force also flagged deeper structural problems within the police service’s human resource systems. It found that none of the three services automated their HR processes, leaving the system exposed to manipulation and corruption, and noted that many HR functions were being handled by uniformed officers lacking the relevant professional training, resulting in errors even on straightforward administrative matters.
The task force recommended that aside from deployment decisions tied directly to operations, HR functions be handed over to properly trained and experienced personnel, and said full digitisation of HR services, including allowance payments, would help the NPS respond more quickly to officers’ needs. “Full digitisation of HR services, including the payment of allowances, will ensure rapid response to the needs of NPS officers,” the report said.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat confirmed that the recruits graduating this week would be the first to wear the new uniform. He also used the Kiganjo briefing to address rising concern over criminal gangs, particularly around political rallies, revealing that the issue featured prominently in a recent high-level meeting of police commanders in Nairobi.
“It is important that Nairobi remains peaceful, orderly and free of crime. Of great importance is the issue of criminal gangs in the capital city and other parts of the country,” Lagat said. He credited recent NPS interventions, carried out under Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud, with improving order in the capital. “There is improvement when it comes to fighting goons. Part of what we are doing is to lay strategies to end the menace,” he said, adding, “I assure Kenyans that we will deal firmly with these gangs.”
Lagat also pushed back on claims by some politicians that armed groups had taken over parts of the country and were operating unchecked, describing such assertions as overstated.
“These are just a few criminals and we will deal with them. We have arrested some and taken them to court. Expect more arrests soon,” he said, while urging the public to support government efforts to keep the country secure.
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