The National Police Service and the National Youth Service signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see NYS servicemen produce the new police uniforms.
On Friday, two female officers who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke expressed their greatest fear moments after being ferried to get their measurements taken so as to have well-fitting uniforms.
The officers are in the traffic department and they can't wait to join college later this month ahead of their highly anticipated promotion to join the inspectors' rank later in 2019.
"Everyone is happy about the new uniform but we are just praying that things will be different this time. Right now, I am planning to have five blouses and an additional two or three trousers, you know in college you have to be smart at all times," held one of the officers.
In the past, their uniforms have always been dispatched from Industrial area to their station before being issued out by the OCS. The process, they admitted has flaws, and an insider cartel takes advantage of their juniors.
"Instead of giving us the uniform, there is a tendency of frustrating us and you're forced to part with some money. You will wait for the uniforms forever while using the old ones. You see, no one cares that you will be looking bad on the road," decried the female cop.
Her colleague concurred saying it is true that mostly they get uniform, "when you call them and say you have something for them. For a blouse you pay Ksh1000 and for a trouser they want Ksh1200."
Leila and Janet, not the officers' real names, are only praying that the new uniforms are produced soon and directly dispatched to their stations as opposed to Industrial Area.
To cast out our doubt, Janet moves to call her colleague together with whom they're preparing to join college. She puts her phone on loudspeaker and we listen in to get the account on condition that we do not record the conversation.
"Major alisema tusichukue shati tano kwanza kwa sababu itakaua hasara kama hizi mpya zitaletwa kama ashatuuzia hizo. Tuchukue mbili-mbili kwanza.
(Major advised that we don't take all the five blouses (intended for use in college), it will be wasteful if we did that and get the new ones immediately)," the officers disclosed.
