Uniforms are just the start: Why Kenya's police service still fails its women

Female Police officers during the Budget reading of 2020/21 at the Parliament buildings, Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

If policing in Kenya were ever designed with women in mind, maternity uniforms would have been standard, decades ago.

The fact that we are debating whether pregnant officers deserve uniforms that fit reveals a deeper truth: our police service was never built for women. It was a colonial institution created by men, for men and despite visible strides toward inclusion, women officers continue to navigate structures that remain stubbornly gendered.