Claims that material required to tailor the new police uniform cannot be sourced locally are grossly false and are being pushed by individuals with vested interests, Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has said.
Speaking during a meeting with security stakeholders on Tuesday, Matiang’i came out all guns blazing dismissing The Standard newspaper’s main story which alleged a fabric shortage.
CS Matiang’i re-affirmed that the project being undertaken by The National Youth Service (NYS) is on course and will be rolled out as planned.
“The Inspector General (Joseph Boinnet), The PS (Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho) and I have been under pressure to import police uniforms from another country. You can circle back with your crooks and inform them that the ministry’s position is very clear that we will make the uniforms in Kenya,” said a visibly irked Matiang’i.
Matiang’i was responding to The Standard’s article which claimed that police bosses were unable to find the material locally even after visiting textile factories.
The National Police Service (NPS) is scheduled to phase out the old uniform for the new Persian blue ensemble by the end of this week.
“Go and write another 10 headlines. We will not import the uniform from Turkey or China. We have no problem providing our police with uniforms. We have actually paid for the apparel and they are being done. We will buy Kenya and build Kenya and with that, we will have promoted our local manufacturing industry and created jobs for our youth,” added Matiang’i.
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On February 1, 2018 President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that all police uniform be made at the NYS Textile and Garment Technology Institute in a bid to promote local manufacturing.
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The Head of State unveiled the new uniform on September 13 while announcing a restructuring of the force to transform it into a respected unit as opposed to a feared force.
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