Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja donned the newly introduced Kenya Police Service uniform, as the police leadership seeks to reinforce its commitment to reforms, professionalism and improved service delivery.
The new uniform, according to the National Police Service, is more than an aesthetic change, with the Service saying it is intended to boost officers’ morale and project a more professional image.
The uniform is also expected to enhance the visibility and identification of police officers as they carry out their mandate of protecting and serving Kenyans, residents and visitors, Kanja said.
Kanja’s appearance in the new attire comes as the National Police Service continues to implement reforms aimed at improving policing standards and strengthening public confidence in the Service.
The Service said the new look reflects a renewed commitment to professionalism and excellence in policing.
This came as the United Opposition principal Fred Matiang’i questioned the decision to outsource the manufacture of Kenya’s new police uniforms, arguing that the government should have used existing public institutions such as the National Youth Service (NYS) to produce them.
Matiang’i, who is also Jubilee Party’s preferred presidential candidate, said the government did not always need to purchase services that could be provided using capacity already available within the public sector.
President William Ruto unveiled the new General Duty police uniform at the Kenya Police Training College in Kiganjo, Nyeri county.
“Government does not always have to buy everything,” Matiang’i said in a statement posted on X, recalling the approach taken during his tenure as Interior Cabinet Secretary under the Jubilee administration.
He said the previous administration had deliberately assessed existing government capacity before deciding how the 2018 police uniform change would be implemented.
“The National Youth Service, with its vocational and technical training capacity, was part of that approach,” he said.
Matiang’i said the government also worked with other public institutions and private-sector players to utilise existing skills, facilities and capabilities.
He argued that the approach helped control costs, build local capacity and create opportunities for Kenyans.
The former Interior CS shared a video of the commissioning of NYS facilities for production of the 2018 police uniforms, when he said the service had the capacity to produce 1,000 pieces a day.
He said the experience offered a lesson for the current administration as it rolls out another change of police attire.
“As we discuss another change of police uniforms today, we should ask a bigger question: Are we getting the greatest possible value from the resources available to us?” he said.
The new uniform, unveiled on Friday, August 28, replaces the Persian-blue outfit introduced in 2018.
General Duty officers are switching to sky-blue shirts and navy-blue trousers, with male and female officers adopting the same design.
The change followed consultations with officers and the public and was informed by recommendations arising from police reforms.
The change has nevertheless triggered questions from opposition leaders and other critics, particularly over the decision to replace a uniform introduced only eight years ago and the cost of the procurement.
Officials have put the value of the procurement at about Sh2.8 billion to Sh3 billion, although the government has not publicly disclosed an official overall cost for the new uniforms.
The procurement has also attracted controversy over the identity of the manufacturer, prompting the NPS said to clarify that Bedi Investments Limited was awarded the contract after a procurement process involving local textile manufacturers.
It denied reports linking Nalitex Limited to the tender, saying the company did not participate in the process.
The NPS said Bedi and Rivatex East Africa submitted samples after four local manufacturers were invited to participate.
The Service said the four manufacturers were selected based on their previous experience supplying police uniforms and in the spirit of Buy Kenya, Build Kenya.
Bedi and Rivertex, it added, submitted samples within the stipulated period.
Bedi’s sample was subsequently selected following evaluation and public participation, according to the Service.
“The subsequent procurement was undertaken in accordance with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015, the applicable regulations and procedures,” NPS said.
The controversy has also prompted allegations by some critics that politically connected individuals could have benefited from the procurement.
Those claims have not been substantiated, while the NPS has rejected reports linking the tender to companies allegedly associated with senior government figures.
“The National Police Service welcomes legitimate media and public scrutiny of the use of public resources. Such scrutiny must, however, be anchored in complete, accurate and verifiable facts.”
Matiang’i did not directly address those allegations in his statement but focused on the principle of using public capacity before committing taxpayers’ money to external procurement.
“A uniform can change the appearance of a police officer,” he said. “But good governance must go further. It must strengthen institutions, build capacity and ensure that every shilling spent delivers value to the Kenyan people.”
He said the measure of leadership should not be the amount of money government spends, but what it achieves with that expenditure.
The new uniforms began being rolled out to General Duty officers on Monday, August 31, with the National Police Service expected to continue the transition progressively.
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