Questions surrounding the new police uniform have taken a political turn, with Jubilee deputy leader and presidential hopeful Fred Matiang’i challenging the government over the procurement process and the firms involved in supplying the new outfit.
Matiang’i questioned how a company incorporated in 2024 could be linked to a major government supply contract, raising concerns about how the procurement was handled.
The former Interior Cabinet secretary spoke on a local radio station on September 2, 2026, where he also criticised the decision to involve private firms in the production and supply of uniforms for the National Police Service.
“Wameunda kampuni in 2024, in 2026 ndio ina-supply uniform, hiyo ni wizi na uporaji wa mali ya serikali,” he said.
Matiang’i said his position on government procurement would be different if he became president, arguing that the holder of the office should not turn government contracts into personal business opportunities.
“Kila wakati nikipata nafasi niwe rais wa nchi hii, siwezi kufanya biashara na serikali, ati mi ni rais naenda kushona uniform ya polisi.”
He said conducting business with the government while holding public office would raise questions over conflict of interest.
“You cannot do business with government because of conflict of interest,” he said.
The former Interior Cabinet secretary also brought up the way police uniforms were produced during his time in government, saying the process used in 2018 was different from the current arrangement.
Matiang’i said the National Security Council had agreed that the government could produce the uniforms without outsourcing the work.
He said the National Youth Service, Kenya Police Service workshops and local textile mills were instead used to manufacture the uniforms.
According to Matiang’i, that arrangement helped the government save more than Sh700 million.
He extended his comparison to other security equipment, pointing to what he described as sharp differences in the cost of police boots and bulletproof vests.
Matiang’i said a pair of police boots had previously cost the government Sh13,900, while locally manufactured boots were available for about Sh4,000.
He also referred to bulletproof vests, saying they had been quoted at $900, equivalent to about Sh116,505, before a government-to-government arrangement brought the cost down to $90, or about Sh11,650.
His remarks came shortly after President William Ruto unveiled the new general duty police uniform at the Kenya Police Service passing-out parade held at the National Police College in Kiganjo on August 28, 2026.
The new uniform has a sky-blue shirt, dark-blue trousers and berets. Female officers will also have a separate maternity design.
The National Police Service is expected to introduce the new outfit in phases, with the programme targeting about 60,000 officers.
However, NPS has rejected reports that Nalitex Limited was involved in supplying the uniforms.
The service said Nalitex, which was incorporated on May 3, 2024, neither took part in the procurement process nor served as a subcontractor. NPS also said the company did not receive any payment under the contract.
According to the police service, Bedi Investments Limited secured the contract after four local textile mills were invited to take part under the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya policy.
Only Bedi Investments and Rivatex East Africa submitted samples for consideration.
Bedi Investments’ design was eventually selected after the samples went through evaluation and public participation, NPS said.
The government has said the new uniforms will not replace those used by all officers at once. Instead, the change will be carried out progressively, beginning with newly recruited officers.
The uniform changes have also attracted scrutiny from former Chief Justice David Maraga, who headed the task force on police reforms and has raised concerns about the implementation of the reforms.