More than 90 percent of police prefer their old uniforms to the new ones, Parliamentary Committee on Administration and National Security has revealed.
According to the Committee’s Chairperson Paul Koinange, some of the police officers say that the new uniforms look like those of Kenya Power and Lighting Company, unlike the old ones.
“The police feel like the old uniform is better, over 90 percent are opposed to the new uniform and would prefer to be in the old uniform, of course, we have to find a meeting ground where we do not seem to be pushing them to put on the new uniform,” said Koinange.
The Parliamentary Committee on Administration and National Security have been going around the country visiting police stations on a fact-finding mission on concerns the police are dealing with.
Speaking after touring Malindi Police station Koinange said there was a need to dig deeper and establish more why the police officers do not like the uniforms.
Koinange said the officers claim the quality is not so good adding that the colors are not for the police.
Apart from uniform, other major concerns security personnel want addressed include welfare, infrastructure and promotion.
The Committee has so far visited police stations in 20 counties.
Koinange said there is a need to address the issues affecting the police to enhance effective service delivery, among them the establishment of psychological centres within police stations to offer counseling services to police officers on stress management, to avoid cases of police shooting themselves.
”We need to find a way where we can give them proper equipment to enable them perform their duties,” he said.
In areas like Malindi and many others, Koinange said, police have no communication systems which need to be addressed.
