There is silence and silence on the supplier of the new Kenya Police Service uniform to be unveiled on Friday, August 28, 2026, during the pass-out parade of recruits at the National Police College Main Campus in Kiganjo, Nyeri County.
President William Ruto is set to launch the new uniforms amid secrecy on the suppliers and cost of the same.
Insiders however claim an influential Member of Parliament is behind the lucrative multi billion tender. The cost has however not been revealed.
Officials defended the new uniform saying it was a carefully considered choice that was endorsed by the relevant government committee.
There is however no openness in the issue of procurement of the attire and the cost.
The business of supply of the uniform is lucrative and usually abused by well-connected people in the government.
Insiders say the prices are exaggerated by the suppliers depending on one’s connections at the expense of the public.
The issue of the suppliers was thorny among top government officials in the past government.
Police Headquarters sent an internal communication telling all officers whose measurements were taken for the new uniform will be issued with the attire.
The directive further stated that once officers receive the new uniform, they will not be permitted to wear any other uniform.
However, the jungle uniform will remain in use for officers serving in operational areas.
The launch is expected to mark a major change in the Kenya Police Service’s official appearance, with the new uniform becoming the standard attire for officers once issued.
The big question is on who is the new supplier of the attire.
The blue uniforms which are being phased out wholly being made in Kenya by local textiles firms based in Thika, Kitui, Nakuru and Eldoret under a Buy Kenya, Build Kenya government drive that had also significantly cut costs.
This enabled the hiring of more officers and the modernisation of police equipment. It also created more job opportunities for Kenyans.
It is not clear is the same is being done now.
Officials kept mum on the issue stating Kenyans will be informed at the right time.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said the National Police Service (NPS) will implement recommendations arising from a 2023 police public participation exercise that saw police officers reject the current navy blue outfit.
Kanja said the uniform to first be won by the graduating officers is meant to conform with the needs of NPS officers.
“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.
While their counterparts in the Administration Wing and the General Service Unit maintain their current uniforms, Kanja intimated that the new look attire will be gradually re-introduced to all general duty officers, to improve morale, and subsequently service delivery.
“In the next few coming weeks, we should see the new uniform that was approved sometimes back and I think this is also going to be a force multiplier,” said the IG.
The new uniform was first unveiled in February 2023 when then Inspector General of police Japhet Koome donned it during a meeting.
The previous government phased out the iconic blue police uniform, which had been in use for decades.
The redesign was intended to increase the visibility of officers and create uniformity across all ranks during the merger of the Administration Police and the Kenya Police Service.
There is a uniform committee which consists mostly of officials from security agencies and is chaired by the Vice Chief of Defence Forces of Kenya Defence Forces.
The other members include a representative from National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service and National Youth Service.
It approve such uniforms.
The team had arrived at the bright blue colour as the one for the working uniform by the General Duty personnel.
Officials said the team compared and checked on many other colours and established they had been adopted for use by other security agencies in the region.
Police, especially those in operational areas also use jungle, green and khaki uniforms.
The Kenya police has adopted a new set of uniform for its use.
Other units in the National Police Service will maintain their current uniforms. They include Administration Police Service and General Service Unit who use jungle ones.
The taskforce on improvement of the conditions of service of the National Police Service and Kenya Prisons Service approved the recommendations on the new uniforms.
It had, in its report in 2023 said police should be allowed to revert to the old uniforms for three years.
The former government said the process surrounding the adoption of a neutral colour was to symbolise the merger and the abandoning of the previous AP and the Kenya Police signature colours.
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