By Iminza Keboge
Published January 2, 2021
Kenya Police has, for the second time in two years, issued dress code guidelines and compliance deadline for police women in uniform. But, for the second time in two years, the dress code guidelines and compliance deadline for police women in uniform are likely to be ignored.
Edward Mbugua, Deputy Inspector-General of Kenya’s National Police Service, had in 2019 directed police women in uniform to get rid of ‘exaggerated weaves and styles and over-coloured hairdos’ as they make it difficult to ‘put on peaked caps or berets’ from January 1, 2020.
RELATED: Kenyan Universities Call for ‘Decent’ Dressing and Grooming
“I have observed with a lot of concern that officers of all ranks have flawed the service’s dress code especially women hairstyles while in uniform,” Mbugua says in a circular issued on December 20, 2019. “There is dire need to recognise that the police uniform is a symbol of authority and should be accorded the respect it deserves. As from January 1, 2020 these overdone hairstyles will not be accepted.”
But it appears police officers in uniform, especially female ones, are yet to comply with Mbugua’s directive, forcing Inspector-General Hillary Nzioki Mutyambai himself, on August 4, 2020, to issue yet another directive titled Dress Code Regulations.
RELATED: Kenya’s Sh50 Million National Dress is a Mirage
“Police uniforms should not be worn with any visible article of civilian clothing, articles or anything that is not police uniform. Mixing of uniform will not be allowed,” Mutyambai says in the circular. “Make-ups should be discreet and only natural and clear nail polish may be used. Male officers will always have short and well-kept hair.”
Like Mbugua nine months earlier, Mutyambai directed commanders of police to enforce compliance of the police dress code guidelines.
But, once again, it appears the officers ignored the directive because Mbugua was forced to issue yet another circular on November 20, 2020, giving the 65 000 men and women in blue yet another deadline–January 1, 2021–to live up to expectation.
RELATED: Leading Film Festival Changes Format and Dates
“I draw your attention on service standing orders Chapter 11 dress-code regulations which stipulate clearly on how officers should wear their hair,” Mbugua says in the circular.
Just why should police officers adhere to the prescribed dress code while on duty?
“Dress code is important. It is a symbol of discipline and, believe it or not, may even command authority and dictate how members of the public relate to police officers,” Ogova Ondego, Publisher of ArtMatters.Info, says. “A playful dress code conveys lack of seriousness on the part of the officers that could lead to the citizens not taking them seriously.”
RELATED: Ghost Intervenes as Kenyan Thespians Fight
“A policewoman need proper identification. If allowed to camouflage in colours sisal wigs hanging half face covered, we lose it! How did they appear at Kiganjo pass out parade? They ought to come back to the basics of Utumishi Kwa wote!” Sammy K Ngatia comments on the subject on the Daily Nation newspaper’s platform on Facebook.
On his part, Yafesi Biggy Amwayi, also commenting on Daily Nation’s page on Facebook, says, “Even female nurses and other medical staff have restrictions about their hair and other forms of make up while on duty. And nobody complains. So why are you making noise about female police officers being restricted over the same?”
RELATED: Why Society Focuses on Women’s Dress Code
A University of Nairobi post-graduate study titled ‘The Communicative Dynamics of the Kenya Police Force Dressing Code: An Assessment of their Impact on the Force’s Corporate Image and Service Delivery to the Public’ by Kibinge wa Muturi concludes that:
- police attire can influence their performance and behaviors within the police force
- the dressing code policy adds value to the corporate image of the police force
- police uniform should be well maintained at all times; it should be clean and presentable, not tom or faded nor should it be in different shades of the recommended colours
- police officers should be issued with new uniforms that fit them to create a positive public image.
RELATED: Facebook Launches Campaign to Support Artists in Kenya
Saying “There is quite a lot of negative perception assigned by the general public to the police force in Kenya, once they are seen in their uniforms,” Kibinge wa Muturi observes in the thesis published in 2007 that “In the mind of an average public, the police officers once spotted in uniform is perceived to be an atrocious, dishonest, rude and constantly on the look out of opportunity to exhort money out of the public. Therefore many police officers are not viewed as caring human beings and at times left alone to fight crimes. It is upon this that the research is developed to reality ascertain the communicative dynamics of the police force dressing code in relation to their corporate image and service delivery to the public.”
The study, presented for a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies in the School of Journalism of University of Nairobi, “set out to establish the communicative effects of the police dress code policy, particularly to establish the Public and Police perception on various colours of police uniform; determining how the colour of police uniforms influence the public’s cooperation with the police; establishing the views that the Kenya public and the police force hold about the police uniform in relation to performance and service delivery and finally give recommendations on how the police dress code can be improved to enhance the police force corporate image and service delivery to the public.”
