Jubilee presidential candidate Dr. Fred Matiang’i has accused the current government of misusing public resources through the procurement of new police uniforms, alleging that senior government figures are using the tender to enrich themselves.
He claimed the company contracted to supply the uniforms was only registered in 2024, while the purchase was made in 2026, a discrepancy he described as outright theft and abuse of public office.
Matiang’i said that, given the chance to lead the country, he would not conduct government business the way the current administration does, pointing to what he called wrongfully awarded tenders.
Drawing on his own tenure as Cabinet Secretary for Interior, Matiang’i recalled instances in which senior officials pushed inflated procurement deals.
He cited police boots, which he said officials wanted purchased at KSh 13,000 a pair despite a comparable, locally made pair costing KSh 4,000. He also cited bulletproof vests: while he was Cabinet Secretary and Dr. Karanja Kibicho served as Principal Secretary, where officials pushed for vests priced at $900 apiece, until he sourced an alternative supplier offering the same at $90 through the Government-to-Government tendering.
The former CS explained that these were among the practices he shut down during his time in office, insisting it is impossible to lead the country while doing business with it and pledged that, if elected, he would not do so.
He also referenced 2018, when he was Cabinet Secretary for Interior and faced similar pressure alongside Kibicho and the Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet and Hillary Mutyambai to change the police uniform.
Matiang’i questioned the government’s spending priorities, noting that KSh 2.8 billion was spent on new uniforms even as police insurance and medical services remain underfunded and the digitisation of the police service (OB/IPRS) has stalled calling this a clear case of economic mis-priority.
He further accused the government of bypassing proper procedure in changing the uniform, warning that this compromises national security.
According to Matiang’i, a National Security Council committee, chaired by the Vice Chief of the General Staff, is mandated to set uniform standards across the entire security sector including the Kenya Police, the Kenya Wildlife Service, and the military and must be consulted before any uniform change is made.
Matiang’i said police uniforms should not be changed within ten years of the previous design, arguing that frequent changes make it easier for criminals to impersonate officers using counterfeit uniforms.
