President William Ruto has responded to growing scrutiny surrounding the procurement of Kenya’s new police uniforms, insisting that every decision made under the police reform programme must be subjected to public accountability.
Speaking on Friday, September 4, Ruto said the programme was being implemented in the public interest and financed through taxpayers’ money, making scrutiny of its decisions and expenditure necessary.
“Because this entire police reform programme is undertaken in the public interest and financed with public resources, every aspect of it must withstand scrutiny. We welcome the scrutiny of every decision and every shilling spent,” Ruto stated.
The President’s remarks come amid questions over the procurement of the new General Duty police uniforms, with critics raising concerns about the cost of the exercise, the tendering process and the decision to engage private manufacturers.
Reports have placed the estimated cost of the uniform programme at between Sh2.8 billion and Sh3 billion, although the National Police Service has defended the procurement process and disputed claims linking Nalitex Limited to the tender.
The NPS has stated that Bedi Investments Limited was awarded the contract after a competitive process involving local textile manufacturers. Rivatex East Africa, Thika Textile Mills and Sunflag Textiles & Knitwear Mills were among the companies invited to submit samples.
The controversy has also drawn criticism from former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, who questioned why government institutions with manufacturing capacity, including the National Youth Service, could not have been involved in producing the uniforms.
Ruto, however, urged those questioning the process to base their concerns on verifiable evidence rather than allegations or assumptions.
“Accountability is a constitutional obligation and must rest on facts, evidence and the truth. We must demand answers without prejudice; question decisions without condemning people unheard and expose wrongdoing wherever it exists,” he added.
The President said scrutiny should not be viewed as an attack on individuals but as an important mechanism for strengthening public institutions and protecting taxpayers’ money.
“Honest scrutiny strengthens institutions, safeguards public resources and serves the greater public interest,” Ruto said.
The new police uniform is part of a broader government programme to reform and modernise the National Police Service. Ruto has presented the reforms as aimed at improving the welfare, dignity and working conditions of police officers while enhancing service delivery.
The procurement controversy nevertheless places renewed attention on how billions allocated to police reforms are spent, with calls for transparency likely to continue as questions surrounding the tender and the cost of the new uniforms remain in the public domain.