NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 30 – Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has accused President William Ruto’s administration of misplaced priorities, questioning the decision to spend billions of shillings on new police uniforms at a time when thousands of students are struggling to raise school fees and young people remain unemployed.
Speaking in Meru during the opposition’s Linda Mwananchi campaign, Owino claimed the government had allocated Sh2.5 billion to the new police uniforms, arguing that the money could have been channeled into job creation, factories and other programmes to benefit young people.
“Students have not entered university and colleges because their parents have no school fees. Then the government spends 2.5 billion to bring police uniforms. Is this foolishness or not?” the Nairobi Gubernatorial hopeful asked.
President William Ruto unveiled the new Kenya Police Service general-duty uniform at the Kenya Police Training College in Kiganjo on Friday, August 28, with more than 6,000 recruits becoming among the first officers to wear the new design.
The National Police Service said the change followed recommendations from a 2023 public participation exercise in which officers expressed dissatisfaction with the previous outfit.
The new uniform replaces the Persian-blue outfit introduced in 2018 and consists of a light-blue shirt and deep-navy trousers. The rollout is expected to cover about 60,000 general-duty officers.
However, Babu questioned whether changing police attire should be a government priority, arguing that the same resources could have been used to address unemployment.
“Since 1963, in Kenya, we are still looking for police uniforms. What was wrong with the recent uniforms? What was wrong with the ones that were newly introduced?” he asked.
He also questioned why the government had not instead used the money to improve the welfare of police officers.
“Why didn’t they take that money and increase the police salaries?” he asked, claiming that a police officer’s salary increase of Sh1,000 would leave only about Sh800 after taxes.
Babu said the money could have been invested in manufacturing and job creation in Meru.
“If you use 2.5 billion here in Meru to open factories one factory would take even 200 million therefore, you can build 12 factories that will employ over 10,000 people from Meru. Isn’t that development?” he asked.
His remarks came amid growing scrutiny over the cost and procurement of the new police attire. Sources had estimated a set at Sh25,000, meaning that providing two sets for about 60,000 general-duty officers could cost approximately Sh3 billion.
Opposition leaders have also demanded greater transparency over the tender. Democratic Action Party-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa has called for disclosure of the company awarded the contract and the procurement process used.
Police headquarters dismissed reports that Nalitex Limited won the tender to manufacture the new Kenya Police Service General Duty uniforms, saying the contract was lawfully awarded to Bedi Investments Limited.
The National Police Service (NPS), through the Office of the Inspector General, said Nalitex Limited did not feature in any stage of the process involving the development, selection, procurement or manufacture of the new police uniforms.
“For clarity, the new police uniforms are being manufactured by M/s Bedi Investments Limited, which was lawfully awarded the contract by the National Police Service,” the NPS said.
The clarification follows recent media reports concerning the procurement and manufacture of the new Kenya Police Service General Duty uniform.
The NPS said the decision to change the General Duty uniform was made as part of a broader police reform programme considered by the Maraga Task Force on Police Reforms, chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga.
According to the Service, police officers were consulted during the process and overwhelmingly expressed dissatisfaction with the existing uniform and preference for a change.
The task force subsequently recommended reverting to the previous uniform colours.
The NPS said the change was therefore neither sudden nor arbitrary, but one of several measures arising from the wider police reform process.
Following the reform process, the Kenya Police Service Uniform Committee worked with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to develop the required standards for the new uniform.
The NPS maintained that the development, selection and procurement process followed the recommendations of the police reform process.
The Service also sought to draw a distinction between the company named in recent media reports and the firm undertaking the uniform contract.
It reiterated that Bedi Investments Limited was lawfully awarded the contract and is responsible for manufacturing the new police uniforms.
The statement comes amid increased public scrutiny of the new police uniform and questions surrounding its procurement.
The NPS said the facts surrounding the change of uniform, its development and subsequent procurement were “clear and verifiable.”
