“Looking like civilian guards.” The unusually blunt words used by the taskforce chaired by retired Chief Justice David Maraga captured the deep dissatisfaction among police officers and members of the public with the deep-blue police uniform introduced by former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration in 2018 as part of the reorganisation of the National Police Service.
On Page 141 (649), the Maraga Taskforce gives a vivid account of the backlash against the uniform, stating: “Officers of NPS and the public overwhelmingly expressed their displeasure with the current uniform. Many noted that the colour and quality of the uniform does not communicate professionalism, confidence and pride in the Service. The Taskforce was informed that the new uniform had left NPS officers looking like civilian guards.”
The change in 2018 followed the transfer of a large number of officers from the Administration Police Service to the Kenya Police Service and the reassignment of duties among various units.
The new uniform was intended to facilitate a smooth transition and integration and to avoid rivalry between the services. Immediately after police officers received the deep blue uniform, it soon became a source of discontent and ridicule among officers and members of the public
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In 2023, retired Justice David Maraga was appointed to lead the National Taskforce on Improvement of the Terms and Conditions of Service and other Reforms for Members of the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service.
The Maraga-led taskforce found that officers had not been consulted before the change and recorded widespread complaints about the uniform’s appearance, quality and supply. Many officers and members of the public said the new uniform failed to convey professionalism, confidence and pride, with the report further noting on page 141 (650) that officers therefore overwhelmingly preferred reverting to their old uniform, of which they spoke with professional pride. This view was affirmed by members of the public.
The report did not stop at criticism. It went on to recommend that the National Police Service revert to its old uniform for three years, while a new uniform was developed through a process involving police officers and the public.
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In the report, page 142 (652), it also found that officers had not been consulted before the 2018 change, while shortages later forced some officers to buy their own fabric and have uniforms made privately by local tailors.
“The Taskforce noted, however, that officers across the country were kitted in uniforms of varying shades and quality. It was established that due to shortages in the supply of uniforms, officers now buy their own fabric and pay tailors to sew uniforms for them. This is one key reason for the variety in shades, quality and even fit.” read the report in part.
711 (d) recommended that (d) of the report NPS and the National Uniforms Committee should prepare and approve maternity uniforms for female officers. While 923 reinforced that, Maternity dresses should be included in the issuance of uniforms and trousers for female officers.
As the debate over the police uniform intensifies, the publication of the Maraga Taskforce report has added a significant twist. The report reveals that the proposal to revert to the old police uniform originated from the very taskforce chaired by the former Chief Justice, the same person who later made the delayed report public after raising concerns over its release. The disclosure now provides a direct paper trail for the thinking behind the return to the old uniform.
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