Police unveil new uniform designs
What you need to know:
- The new uniform has light blue top and dark navy blue trousers and sweaters.
- The versions include a display of it in short and long sleeves, in normal and unique buttons and with name tags permanently sewn above the front right pocket of the shirt and the other with both the officer's name and service number sewn on both pockets.
The National Police Service (NPS) has unveiled the new uniform designs that will replace the current persian blue regalia that was introduced in 2018.
Different versions of the uniform were on display on Tuesday at the Police Pavilion in South C, Nairobi, where officers and members of the public were invited give their views.
The invitation is line with the 2010 Constitution that requires citizen participation in public affairs, including maintenance of law and order.
The new uniform has light blue top and dark navy blue trousers and sweaters. The versions include a display of it in short and long sleeves, in normal and unique buttons and with name tags permanently sewn above the front right pocket of the shirt and the other with both the officer's name and service number sewn on both pockets.
The last variation appeared popular among the officers who attended the launch of the public participation exercise that will run for a week in all the former eight provinces— Western, Eastern, Central, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Nairobi and Coast.
The new uniform was first unveiled in February this year when Inspector-General Japhet Koome donned it during a meeting with his deputy Noor Gabow, Chief Justice Martha Koome, and other officials at the High Court in Nairobi.
The Uhuru Kenyatta administration phased out the iconic blue police uniform, which had been in use for decades.
The Persian-blue redesign was intended to increase the visibility of officers and create uniformity across all ranks during the merger of the Administrative Police and the Kenya Police Service.
During the 2022 election campaigns, the Kenya Kwanza Coalition, led by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, promised police officers that it would scrap the blue police uniform.
"You have suffered so much at the hands of Matiang'i and Kibicho (former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and Principal Secretary 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 Even the new blue uniform, which you don't want, will be withdrawn and we will go back to the old one.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 the PCEA church. It is the uniform of the women's guild," he said at the time.
