The unveiling of a new police uniform for general duty officers in the Kenya Police Service has been welcomed as a significant step in the implementation of recommendations by the Presidential Taskforce on Police Reforms chaired by former Chief Justice David Maraga.
Areba Omwoyo Samba, a former Technical Officer with the Maraga Taskforce and Police Reforms Unit, said the new attire would help restore dignity, pride and authority to police officers.
“The new uniform unveiled by the National Police Service is designed to restore dignity, pride and authority to our officers,” Samba said.
President William Ruto officially unveiled the new uniform on Friday, August 28, 2026, during the passing-out parade for more than 6,000 police recruits who completed nine months of training at the National Police College Main Campus in Kiganjo, Nyeri County.
The president said the new uniform followed consultations with police officers and members of the public conducted in 2023, as well as recommendations contained in the Presidential Taskforce report.
“Today, we are also unveiling a new uniform for General Duty officers of the Kenya Police Service. This change follows consultations with police officers and the public in 2023, as well as the recommendations of the Presidential Taskforce,” Ruto said.
Ruto said officers had raised concerns about the quality and suitability of the previous uniform, as well as its effect on their professional identity.
“Officers expressed legitimate concerns about the current uniform, including its quality, suitability, and effect on professional identity,” he said.
The graduating officers will be the first to wear the new uniform, which will then be progressively rolled out to General Duty officers across the country from next week.
The Administration Police Service and General Service Unit will, however, retain their existing operational uniforms.
The rollout follows an earlier announcement by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja that the new outfit would be introduced following the 2023 public participation exercise. Kanja said the new uniform was intended to respond to officers’ needs and boost morale, with more than 6,000 graduating constables expected to be among the first to wear it.
Maternity uniform
Samba said the reforms also address a longstanding gap by introducing a dedicated maternity working uniform for expectant police officers.
“The President and top leadership of the Ministry of Interior are actively implementing key proposals from the Maraga Taskforce Report, that include a maternity working uniform that was previously unavailable,” he said.
The maternity attire was unveiled alongside the other new police uniform designs at Kiganjo. The new outfits for expectant officers are designed to accommodate pregnancy while maintaining the overall appearance of the new General Duty uniform.
Samba said the new uniform was developed after extensive consultations with relevant stakeholders.
“The new uniform was designed after extensive consultations all relevant stakeholders.”
He described its introduction as an important milestone in implementing the police reforms and advancing wider changes within the National Police Service.
“This marks a significant milestone in implementing the report and advancing broader police reforms.”
“Huge congratulations to the Ministry of Interior and National Administration and the National Police Service on this incredible achievement.”
Ruto links uniform to wider police reforms
In his Kiganjo speech, Ruto said police reform must go beyond changing uniforms and must also address the conditions under which officers live and work.
“We cannot demand professionalism, integrity and sacrifice from police officers while remaining indifferent to their remuneration, housing, healthcare, equipment, career progression, and psychological well-being,” the President said.
He said the Government had progressively implemented recommendations of the Presidential Taskforce on the Terms and Conditions of Service and the Reform of the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service.
According to the President, the three-phase review of police remuneration has been completed, with the entry-level basic salary for a police constable rising from KSh21,645 at the beginning of the review to KSh29,360 — an increase of about 36 per cent. Salaries for other ranks have also been adjusted upwards.
The Government is also addressing police housing, with 47,464 housing units across 165 projects in the security sector pipeline. More than 2,000 units have been completed, over 9,500 are at various stages of construction and another 24,000 are under procurement. Major projects are underway at Kiganjo, the General Service Unit headquarters in Ruaraka, the GSU Training School in Embakasi and other strategic locations.
The President also said more than 138,000 police and prison officers and their dependants had been onboarded onto the Usalama Cover under the Social Health Authority.
The cover provides access to primary healthcare, inpatient and outpatient treatment, specialised care and other essential benefits without co-payments or administrative barriers that previously burdened officers and their families.
Ruto said police training and equipment were also being modernised to respond to emerging threats, including cybercrime, terrorism, organised crime and technology-enabled violence.
He said the Government was strengthening training in professional crowd management, intelligence-led operations, combating banditry, forensic investigation, cybercrime, emergency response and the appropriate use of force.
The reforms also include improved mobility, air support, surveillance, command and control, as well as provision of armoured vehicles, bulletproof vests, ballistic helmets and other protective equipment.
Mental health and psychosocial support, digital capabilities and career progression are also being addressed as part of the wider reforms.
Ruto cautioned, however, that the new uniform itself would not automatically create professionalism within the Service.
“We appreciate that a uniform does not necessarily create professionalism. Character, discipline, training, and conduct do. But the Government has listened because the identity, comfort, morale, and dignity of our officers matter greatly,” he said.
The President said the uniform should ultimately represent trust, equality, service, fairness and justice, urging officers to earn its honour through their conduct.
“Your authority comes from the people. Your loyalty belongs to the Constitution. Your duty is to the Republic. Wear your uniform with pride, but earn its honour through your conduct.”
The new uniform is part of a broader reform agenda that the Government says is intended to build a police service that is better trained, better equipped, more mobile and more capable while remaining disciplined, accountable and governed by the law.
The reform process was initiated after President Ruto established the taskforce chaired by Maraga to review the terms and conditions of service and broader reforms within the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service. The President received an interim report from the taskforce in October 2023 and accepted several recommendations, including reforms on remuneration, entry into the police service and transfers.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission said in March 2026 that implementation of reforms arising from the Maraga Taskforce report was being coordinated through a National Steering Committee involving the National Police Service, Kenya Prisons Service and National Youth Service.
The unveiling of the new uniform therefore comes as part of a wider effort to improve police officers’ working conditions, equipment, training, welfare and professional standards, while reinforcing the constitutional obligations of the National Police Service.
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