After inspector General Joseph Boinnet’s order that police should arrest anyone found on clothes resembling police and military uniforms, the issue has raised concerns not just on the youth- notorious for the ‘combat’ dressing- but also police themselves.
The dilemma for police is that there is no legal backing for the order.
While the law prohibits wearing clothes resembling police and military uniforms, it does not specify what these uniforms look like in terms of design and colour patterns.
So how can you prosecute someone when there is no legal proof that the attire is specifically meant for the police or military?
Ideally, police uniforms should come with specific insignia and emblems that identify the different units. But this does not apply to the combat attire that are still being sold, coming in jackets, trousers, jumpsuits and even dresses at various mitumba markets.
Police sources admitted that they cannot prosecute those selling or wearing them. They therefore just issue warrants and leave it at that.
Therefore, to address IG Boinet’s concern that the combat attire is, “creating confusion among the public as to who is a genuine member of any of our security agencies”, lawyers have advised that the local police and military uniforms designs and colour patterns be gazetted.
Until then, combats are here to stay.