Murkomen issues directives after encountering chiefs in oversized uniforms
By Steve Ireri, July 28, 2025Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has stepped in to help chiefs look decent and presentable as they execute their mandate in various areas.
Speaking in Trans Nzoia on Monday, July 28, 2025, Murkomen said the ministry had resolved to decentralise the distribution of chiefs’ attire to enhance efficiency, restore dignity to public servants, and address long-standing complaints about ill-fitting uniforms.
He revealed that a new system was being finalised, one that would ensure chiefs are fitted for their correct sizes before uniforms are issued. The move, he said, was aimed at ending the common trend of officers being handed oversized clothing without consideration for their measurements.
“We are finalising the matter of providing proper uniforms for police officers. As for the chiefs, we have agreed that uniforms should now be delivered to each county, so there will no longer be a need to travel to Nairobi. We have also agreed that before a chief is issued a uniform, they must first be measured for the correct size,” he said.
Murkomen recounted a recent incident in Kitui where he encountered a chief dressed in an unusually large pair of trousers, to the point that it sparked confusion.
“I came across a chief in Kitui wearing trousers so large that I had to ask him whether he was wearing the trousers or the trousers were wearing him. He was completely lost inside the clothing; you could not even tell if it was a pair of trousers or something else, like a dress,” he said.
The oversized uniform, he noted, made it difficult to even tell where the trousers began and ended.
When he enquired why the chief accepted the garment, the officer explained that he had just been given the uniform without a choice and was told to find a local tailor to make adjustments.
Murkomen termed this practice unacceptable and emphasised the need for government officers to be given uniforms that reflect professionalism, comfort and respect.
“I asked him, ‘Did you not notice?’ He told me, ‘Sir, I went recently, and that is what I was handed. I said it does not fit, and they told me to go find a tailor back home to make the adjustments.’ So it is important that we give chiefs uniforms that fit them properly.”
Police officers
The Interior CS also extended his sentiments to police officers, urging reforms that go beyond uniform appearance to include the working environment and public perception.
He underscored the importance of reshaping the image of the police service, saying the relationship between officers and citizens must evolve.
“On the police, whenever we construct new stations, we should also include ICT stations, computers, and printers so we can protect and support our government staff. We also need to change the public perception of the police service. The relationship with the community should not just be one where people associate the police with guns and force. We must build strong, respectful working relationships with the people in the communities where we live.”