Former Chief Justice David Maraga has raised concerns over the procurement process for Kenya’s new police uniforms, questioning its transparency.
Maraga said the change of police uniforms was among more than 200 recommendations made by the task force on police reforms that he chaired.
However, he alleged that the implementation of the recommendation on police uniforms had been marred by graft and a lack of transparency.
“Whereas police uniforms were part of the over 200 task force recommendations, the attempt to implement it already marred by corruption and opaqueness,” Maraga said.
His remarks come after President William Ruto unveiled the new Kenya Police Service General Duty uniforms at the National Police College in Kiganjo, Nyeri County, on August 28.
The National Police Service has said the decision to change the General Duty uniform was part of the wider police reform programme considered by the Maraga Task Force.
The debate over Kenya’s police uniforms dates back to the introduction of the bright blue General Duty uniform during the previous administration.
The uniform, introduced in 2018/2019, was intended to create greater uniformity following the integration of the Kenya Police Service and Administration Police Service, but it attracted criticism from some officers and members of the public.
The Maraga-led task force also raised concerns about the process through which the blue uniforms had been introduced, saying officers had not been adequately consulted and that the National Uniforms Committee had not been involved in approving them.
It linked the uniform problems to poor morale among officers and warned that officers tailoring their own uniforms could create security risks because police attire could become easily accessible to criminals.
