Officers left in the dark as plan to change police uniform stalls

Ever since the public was invited to give views about the proposed new police uniform, nothing much has been heard about the exercise that was completed more than a year ago.

In August 2023, National Police Service unveiled the uniform designs while announcing commencement of public participation exercise on the proposed colours for officers.

The new designs were displayed during the inaugural public exercise at Nairobi’s Kenya Police Pavilion in South C, before similar forums were replicated in Central, Western, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Eastern, Coast and North Eastern regions.

And sky blue was the proposed colour first worn in February 2023 by then Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome during a meeting in the capital city with then his deputy Noor Gabow, and Chief Justice Martha Koome.

The new version has light blue short and long sleeved shirts with name tags and service numbers tucked on both left and right pockets complete with navy blue trousers and sweaters.

The proposed uniform options are a short-sleeved shirt with ordinary buttons, another with tucked-in styling, and the third with unique buttons. For long-sleeved choices, officers will choose between ordinary and unique buttons, but both having tucked-in styling.

Currently, general duty officers don the persian blue uniform introduced in 2018 by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta whose administration phased out the sky blue uniform that had existed for decades.

Increase visibility

The thinking behind introduction of the persian blue design was that it would increase police visibility while at the same time creating uniformity across all ranks.

But during the 2022 campaigns, the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, which eventually ascended to power, pledged to get rid of the persian blue uniform.

“You have suffered so much at the hands of Matiang’i and Kibicho (former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i and Internal PS Karanja Kibicho). Even the new blue uniform, which you don’t want, will be withdrawn and we will go back to the old one. The blue one will be left for PCEA Church; it’s the uniform of the women’s guild,” said Rigathi Gachagua who was Dr William Ruto’s running mate.

Gachagua has since been kicked out of government and his position taken. It is now 17 months since the public participation exercise was conducted, and most officers remain in dark regarding the uniform matter.

However, some of those interviewed were more than eager to put on the sky blue uniform, which they say is user-friendly and of better quality compared to the current outfit.

“We want the sky blue uniform, maintaining the current one (persian blue) is a challenge; the colour fades fast,” said an Inspector.

Another officer based at Vigilance House – the police headquarters, said they have been waiting to revert to the sky blue colour after measurements were taken some few months back.

“We were informed that each officer will get a pair of short sleeved shirt and long sleeved shirt, but that is yet to happen,” said the officer.

Diversionary tactic

According to the Corporal, since introduction of the persian blue colour, the issue of uniform has not properly been addressed. He claims many of them use their own money to buy the uniform.

“Some of us get them from Kariobangi market where they are sewn, there is also a shop along Rabai Road in Buruburu where they are stored with a similar one in Embakasi around KAPU (Kenya Airport Police Unit) staff quarters,” said the Corporal.

The consensus among officers who voiced their concerns is that the colour was to be adopted immediately.

“We have been waiting for almost one year, at times we feel the exercise of collecting views was just diversionary. Everything went quiet and nobody has communicated to update us on the progress,” said another officer.

As much as the officer might have wished for a swift change, reverting back to the favourite colour is a progress pegged on availability of funds.

Internal Security and National Administration Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo told The Standard the government is keen to avoid the 2018 mistakes when only a limited number of officers in urban areas got the new persian blue uniform.

“This time, our goal is a nationwide rollout to ensure uniformity across all officers,” noted Dr Omollo.

The PS said his ministry was satisfied with the outcome of the public participation that settled on the sky blue colour.

“The successful implementation of this rollout depends on budget allocation, logistics, and supply chain management. Given that over 90,000 officers require new uniforms, procurement and distribution must be completed before issuing them nationwide,” explained Dr Omollo.

The process of collecting views was spearheaded by Peter Ndung’u, the director of Logistics at Vigilance. When reached for an update of progress so far, Ndung’u declined to comment of the matter referring us to police spokesman, Michael Muchiri.

“No, no, I won’t comment about that issue, we have a structured communication and the right person would be Mr Michael Muchiri, the director of Communications,” said Ndung’u.

The taskforce on police reforms, which was led by Chief Justice (Rtd) David Maraga recommended that National Police Service (NPS) returns to the old uniform introduced by colonialists.

Uniforms Committee

The Maraga team, which collected views in 2023 before handing over the report to President William Ruto in November the same year, proposed establishment of a National Uniforms Committee composed of representatives from the disciplined and security services whose mandate will be to approve standards, colours and qualities of uniforms for use by each Service.

“As regards the NPS uniforms, in line with the overwhelming views of members of the public, police officers themselves, and the leadership of NPS, the Taskforce recommends that the NPS reverts to its old uniform for a period of three years, during which a process of designing a new uniform should be commenced in accordance with the recommendations in this Report,” recommended the Maraga team, which expressed concern that police uniforms were being misused by the public.

The task force, was mandated to identify and recommend legal, policy, administrative, institutional and operational reforms on effective service delivery by the National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) and the National Youth Service (NYS).

David Ngondi, a retired police commander-turned-security expert, thinks the persian blue uniform was a forced idea. He lays blame on the Uniforms Committee for settling on a colour that does not appeal to both police and public.

“It is the committee that decides, which colour suits a particular Discipline or Service. The persian blue was forced on officers; there was no public participation. But having taken note of the missteps, uniform does not make a better officer. Adequate kitting, training and change of mindset is key,” noted Ngondi.

George Musamali, a former instructor at General Service Unit (GSU) Training School, in a previous interview, argued that change of uniform without positive shift of mindset was an exercise in futility.

“It is like painting a black car white without replacing the engine and tyres. In our case, we are changing the uniforms and not the officers. Change of uniform will not salvage police badly tainted image,” noted the security analyst.

A complete working uniform comprises trouser, shirt, a jacket, a T-shirt, a beret, a sweater, socks, a belt, a lanyard and a raincoat. In a year, an officer is given two pairs, not forgetting the ceremonial attire, which consists of trousers, shirt, a T-shirt, a jacket, a capic, socks and a Sam Brown belt.

Since 1902 when the police force was established, evidence of a Force/Service struggling to come up with the right uniform is littered along the way.

Initially known as British East Africa Police (BEAP) when the Kenya-Uganda railway was under construction, officers have put on different shades of uniform on different occasions.

Apart from the BEAP with some personnel of 5,000, there existed several other units, among them home guards that were un-coordinated. For the period they served, home guards wore shorts and long-sleeved shirts made from ordinary cloth material.

Few years later, the khaki uniform was phased out. Officers started wearing navy blue trousers and sky blue shirts - universally accepted colours that symbolise civility and are preferred by most police officers around the world.