The National Police Service (NPS) has proposed new uniforms for officers. Signaling a departure from the existing royal navy blue uniform, unveiled during the tenure of former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi.
According to images shared by the Service, the police will revert to wearing sky blue shirts, with options for both short and long sleeves.
The new uniform will retain the Kenyan flag on the right side, with the NPS logo on the left side. Should the proposals be approved, the officers will also revert to wearing navy blue trousers and skirts.
Following the proposals, the National Police Service has invited Kenyans to share their opinions regarding the new uniforms.
NPS has outlined it’s plan to conduct a series of stakeholder forums, providing an avenue for the public to contribute their thoughts on the uniforms.
The inaugural forum is scheduled for today 29 August 2023, at the Kenya Police Pavilion in South C, Nairobi.
Subsequent forums are slated to take place at the Ruring’u Police Training College, and the National Police College, Main Campus Kiganjo on 30 and 31 August, respectively.
Instructively, in the buildup to the 2022 general election, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua suggested that the Kenya Kwanza government would change the uniforms if elected.
He felt the current uniforms were chosen without input from the officers.
“You have suffered so much in the hands of Matiang’i and Kibicho. Even the new blue uniform that you don’t want will be revoked and we return to the old one. The blue one will be left for the PCEA church. It is the uniform of the women’s guild,” he stated during a rally on 11 June, 2022.
The current royal navy blue uniforms were introduced by former Interior CS Fred Matiang’i in September 2018, and unveiled by former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The changes were implemented as part of service reforms, aimed at cultivating a closer relationship between the police and the public.
