If there's one thing most police agree upon, it's their distaste for the bright "friendly' blue uniform. They think they don't look serious and prefer the old military-style khaki uniforms.
Now there's good news for them. Police are free to wear the old khaki uniform, which was being phased out since 2018.
They will revert to navy blue with white blouses for women.
The officers will continue using both old and new uniforms pending the outcomes of a task force established to look into police and prisons reforms.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga will chair a 23-member task force that was established to steer reforms in police and prisons.
It will also consider pay and allowances, medical cover an other welfare issues.
Among others, the team will assess, consider, review and recommend the nature, quality and standard of the uniform for National Police Service (NPS) and Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) officers as well as that for prisoners-inmates.
“We were told we can revert to the old ones,"one officer aware of the developments said.
They are many in stores and since the materials to get the new ones are reportedly scarce, we are now free to use the old ones,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“If the team recommends we retain the blue uniform we are ready. If it says we revert to the old one, we are ready too.”
The official said police headquarters, Vigilance House, issued the directive pending the recommendations of the Maraga teams.
Whereas some officers see change as necessary, others say it is political and aimed at profiting some dealers.
The new police uniform a campaign issue that the current government vowed to change.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said during campaigns the government will revoke the new blue police uniform.
While criticising the blue uniform as not befitting the disciplined forces, the firebrand lawmaker had said President William Ruto's government will withdraw and donate them to the Presbyterian Church. It traditionally kits members of its women's guild in blue dresses.
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.
Former interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho defended the new uniform saying it was a carefully considered choice that was endorsed by the relevant government committee.
He said the Uniform Committee that has the final word on police uniforms approved the blue colour to represent the unified attire following the merger of the Administration Police and the Kenya Police under the Kenya Police Service.
“He knows too well the role of the Uniform Committee, to contemptuously dismiss the careful considerations that informed the new uniform,” the then PS said during the campaigns.
He said police uniforms are now being wholly 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.
The committee 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.
The team arrived at the bright blue colour as the one for the working uniform by the General Duty personnel. The team also included representatives from the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service and the National Youth Service.
The official added 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 Maraga team will also assess, review tooling, equipping, logistical and technological capacity of the NPS. It will recommend changes necessary to sustain modern security management, disaster management, conflicts and early warning, rapid response systems and joint operational preparedness strategy.
It will also recommend review of remuneration of members of the NPS and KPS and consideration of new and applicable allowances to the NPS and KPS to enhance professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness of the NPS and KPS and assess the adequacy or otherwise of the current medical scheme for the NPS and KPS and recommend comprehensive reform or revision of the same with a view of improving it.
(Edited by V. Graham)
