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President William Ruto confirming new police uniform.[Courtesy]
President William Ruto's unveiling of a new police uniform last week deserves scrutiny on two fronts; the wisdom of the decision itself, and the manner in which it was procured.
The uniform introduced is, by all accounts, the same colour scheme abandoned by the previous administration under President Uhuru Kenyatta. It is difficult to characterise this as a reform of any consequence, and harder still to justify as a national priority when public confidence in the police service is at its lowest ebb in recent memory.
Citizens have watched officers act with impunity, including in cases of abductions and extrajudicial killings, often with the apparent sanction of the Executive. When the President and his Cabinet Secretary for Interior urge officers to shoot rather than arrest suspects, a change of attire does nothing to address the erosion of public trust that follows.
