Roots Party Leader George Luchiri Wajackoyah reached out to President William Ruto on behalf of Muslim ladies regarding police uniforms.
Speaking on Monday, January 16, during the thanksgiving ceremony of Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) Commissioner Hadijah Nganyi Jumaat at the Mumias Cultural Centre in Mumias Town, Wajackoyah asked the Head of State to allow Muslim ladies to wear hijabs.
He stated that it was important for Muslims to be recognised in every sector.
“I want all Muslim ladies who are police officers to be allowed to cover their heads with hijabs. The Officer's cap should be on top of the hijab. I want Muslims to be represented everywhere,” he pleaded.
He further added that it was disrespectful for Muslim ladies to be forced to live just like any other ordinary Kenyan lady.
“I don't want to see Muslim ladies wearing (uniforms) just like any other police officer,” he added.
The former presidential aspirant also asked the Head of State to recognise Fridays as a holiday to honor the Islamic religion.
He argued that it was unfair for the Muslims not to have a day set aside for them to worship like other religions.
“I want the government to make Friday a holiday for the Muslims. Seventh-Day Adventists have Saturdays and Christians have Sundays but Muslims have no day,” he lamented.
Nganyi was picked by the majority party alongside Benedict Muasya Mutiso, Jonas Misto Vincent and Isabel Nyambura Waiyaki after the tenure of the outgoing members lapsed on December 31, 2022.
Wajackoyah’s plea came after Ruto underscored that the government had an obligation to provide requisite uniforms for the officers and ensure that none of them is asked to purchase uniforms with their own money.
Speaking while overseeing a pass-out parade of police constables at Kiganjo Training College on Tuesday, January 10, Ruto expressed his disapproval of the situation where officers were forced to pay for uniforms from their own pockets and, in some instances, forced to use substandard quality. This was after he formed a taskforce to review officers welfare.
