President William Ruto will on Friday unveil a new police uniform as he presides over the passing out parade of police recruits at the Kenya Police Training College in Kiganjo, Nyeri County.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said the new uniform would be rolled out across the Kenya Police Service in the coming weeks after its commissioning by the President.
Kanja said the new uniform was part of ongoing efforts to transform the National Police Service (NPS), adding that it would boost the morale of officers, particularly the 10,000 recruits expected to join the service.
“On Friday, God willing, the Head of State will also be commissioning the new uniform for the Kenya Police Service and in the next few coming weeks, we should be seeing the new uniform that was approved some time back,” Kanja said.
He described the new uniform as a force multiplier in boosting officers’ morale and enhancing their preparedness to serve the public.
The new uniform brings to a close a process that began in 2023 following the Government’s police reform programme under the Kenya Kwanza administration.
As part of the process, the NPS conducted nationwide public participation to obtain views from citizens and police officers on proposed changes to police attire and gear.
Members of the public were presented with four shirt designs from which they were expected to select their preferred option.
One of the proposed designs comprised a sky-blue shirt to be worn with navy-blue trousers by both male and female officers. The shirts were to feature the Kenya Police logo on the left sleeve and the Kenyan flag on the right.
Other features under consideration included short- and long-sleeved shirts, as well as plastic or silver buttons.
The designs also differed in the positioning of officers’ names and service identification. In one design, an officer’s name was permanently sewn above the right breast pocket, while another had the words “Kenya Police Service” sewn on the left breast pocket.
A third design had only the officer’s name permanently sewn on the right-side pocket, while the fourth comprised a plain long-sleeved shirt.
Kanja, however, clarified that the uniforms of the Administration Police Service and the General Service Unit would remain unchanged.
The IG spoke at the Kiganjo Police Training College on Tuesday during a full-dress rehearsal ahead of Friday’s passing out parade.
He said the recruits had received adequate training during their nine-month stay at the college and were ready for deployment to serve Kenyans.
Kanja said the graduation marked the first major police recruitment in three years, noting that the additional officers would help address personnel shortages within the service.
He added that the recruitment would strengthen police numbers as the country prepares for the 2027 General Election.
“I must also note that they are graduating at a time that we need to ensure that our numbers go up because we have not been doing very well. Over the last three years, we had not recruited,” he said.
Kanja said the 10,000 officers would significantly improve the service’s personnel numbers and give the NPS sufficient time to prepare them for election security duties.
“The 10,000 that we are going to get in the next few weeks are going to actually ensure that our numbers are very okay. And remember, we are almost one year to the General Election, so we have got ample time to ensure that these officers are well prepared,” he said.
He added that the recruits had been trained on their roles and responsibilities, including security preparedness during the General Election.
Kanja said the new officers would complement existing personnel and enhance the capacity of the National Police Service to maintain law and order across the country.
By Wangari Mwangi and Samuel Maina
