The Government Spokesperson Charles Owino on Monday, September 1, 2026, clarified that the recently changed uniform, unveiled on August 28, 2026, is not the official National Police uniform, but the uniform worn by general-duty police officers.
In a media interview, Owino said the National Police Service includes the Administration Police Service and Kenya Police Service, noting that the Administration Police uniform has not been changed.
He also clarified that the General Service Unit (GSU) uniform remains unchanged, even though the GSU is part of the Kenya Police Service.
“First of all, the uniform that was changed was not the National Police Service uniform. It was the uniform for the general duty police officers. The National Police Service has Administration Police and Kenya Police Service, so the Administration Police Service uniform has not been changed, and the General Service Unit uniform under the police service has not been changed,” he said.
Owino Reveals Which Officers Will Wear the New Police Uniform
According to Owino, the new uniform is for general-duty officers commonly seen at police stations and on patrols.
“What has been changed is the general duty police service uniform. Who are those? The general duty police officers are the police officers you see at the police stations. Those are the ones we interact with, the ones who go for patrols,” he explained.
Also Read: Maraga Report: Police in Deep Blue Uniforms Looked Like Civilian Guards
He added that DCI officers are not affected, as they do not wear police uniforms and instead operate in civilian clothing.
New Police Uniform: Explains Why Old Blue Design Was Changed
According to Owino, the previous blue police uniform faced criticism and practical challenges, including getting dirty quickly and fading.
He said the condition of the uniform was not necessarily the fault of police officers but was linked to the design.
The Government Spokesperson also said the latest uniform change came from recommendations made through the police reform process and described the new design as similar to the older police uniform.
Also Read: NPS Sets Record Straight on New Police Uniform Tender, Names Company Awarded Contract
“This is just one of the areas of recommendations that were made. First of all, if you looked at the blue uniform, we had a very big challenge with it because it was getting dirty so fast.”
He added that the new design gives female officers a blue upper section instead of the previous white one, and suggested that aspects such as the maternity uniform can still be redesigned through public participation.
Owino cautioned against reducing police reforms to the issue of uniforms, saying it was not appropriate to suggest that changing uniforms was the only thing the police service was doing.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
