Ruto unveils new Kenya Police uniforms: features and changes from shirts to maternity wear

President William Ruto commissioned a new uniform for general-duty officers of the Kenya Police Service (KPS), with the 2026 graduating recruits at the National Police College in Kiganjo becoming the first officers to wear the new design.

The new uniforms were unveiled on Friday, August 28, 2026, during the 149th Pass-Out Parade at Kiganjo, where President Ruto also presided over the graduation of the new recruits.

The unveiling came alongside the groundbreaking ceremony for the modernisation of the National Police College Main Campus, including the upgrading of the shooting range, mess and library and construction of a new physical training facility.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the developments were aimed at improving the welfare and working environment of police officers, while the new uniform was part of efforts to revamp the Service and transform it into a modern and professional centre of excellence.

The new general-duty uniform retains the light-blue appearance associated with KPS while introducing a combination of light-blue shirts and deep navy-blue lower garments.

The shirts worn by the officers at the commissioning have short sleeves, button fronts and two chest pockets.

A name tag and service number is positioned above the right chest pocket, while the Kenyan flag is displayed on the upper side of the right shirt sleeve.

On the other hand, the officers' ranks are displayed below the flag on the right sleeve in red, while the Kenya Police Service badge is displayed on the left sleeve.

The uniform is completed with belts featuring Police colours and matching dark navy-blue trousers for male officers.

Female officers wearing the light-blue shirts match them with dark navy lower garments. Some officers also wear matching navy-blue outerwear.

The unveiled uniform includes a dark navy jacket worn by officers, while female officers have a navy-blue sweater-style outer garment. The new design also provides for expectant officers.

One of the female officers seen interacting with President Ruto during the unveiling was seen wearing an adapted light-blue uniform designed to accommodate pregnancy, with the garment extending more freely around the front while retaining the overall colours and police uniform appearance.

The KPS Director of Logistics and Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police Peter Ndungu specifically highlighted the need for suitable uniform options for expectant officers.

“Your Excellency, as you launch the new uniform, our expectant female officers must also be afforded an opportunity to serve while properly adorned in uniform,” Ndungu said.

The commissioned uniform follows consultations with police officers and members of the public conducted in 2023, as well as recommendations from the Presidential Task Force.

President Ruto said officers had raised concerns about the previous uniform, particularly regarding its quality, suitability and its effect on professional identity.

A redesigned hybrid uniform introduced in February 2023 consisted of a light-blue shirt and deep navy-blue trousers.

The proposal subsequently went through public and internal participation exercises, during which officers rejected the design and called for a return to traditional uniform designs.

The graduating officers at Kiganjo will be the first to wear the new uniform before it is progressively introduced to general-duty officers across the country. Ruto said the nationwide rollout will begin next week.

The new uniform will, however, not replace the operational uniforms used by the Administration Police Service, and General Service Unit (GSU).

According to the President, those units will retain their present operational uniforms.

During the parade, President Ruto said the change in uniform should be viewed alongside broader efforts to improve the conditions and capabilities of the National Police Service.

He noted that a uniform alone does not create professionalism, saying character, discipline, training and conduct remain important.

Ruto said the government had listened to concerns raised by officers because their identity, comfort, morale and dignity also matter.

He also urged the graduating officers to remember that their duty is to protect citizens' rights while exercising authority within the law.

Meanwhile, President Ruto said the three-phase review of police remuneration has been completed, with the entry-level basic pay for police constables rising from Sh21,645 to Sh29,360, an increase of about 36%.

He said salaries across other police ranks had also been adjusted upwards.

Ruto added that the government would continue working with the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to ensure remuneration remains fair, sustainable and commensurate with officers' responsibilities and risks.

The President also said the government was addressing police accommodation through the National Institutional Housing Programme, with a pipeline of 47,000 housing units across 165 projects for the security sector.

He said more than 2,000 units had been completed, over 9,500 were at various stages of construction and a further 24,000 were under procurement.

The government has also introduced the Usalama cover under the Social Health Authority, with more than 138,000 police and prison officers and their dependants onboarded, according to Ruto.

He further said police training was being modernised in areas including professional crowd management, intelligence-led operations, combating banditry, forensic investigation, cybercrime, emergency response and appropriate use of force.