The Government has entered into a partnership with the private sector to strengthen security during major events and enhance disaster preparedness across the country.
The agreement was reached during a meeting at Harambee House between the Ministry of Interior and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA).
The discussions were led by Internal Security and National Administration Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo and KEPSA Security Board Chairperson Annette Kimitei.
The KEPSA delegation, which included representatives from the Events Managers Association of Kenya (EMAK) and the Bouncers Association of Kenya, engaged the Principal Secretary on measures to improve security for businesses, conferences and public events.
The two sides issued a joint statement outlining plans to establish a multi-stakeholder working group under the leadership of the Internal Security Principal Administrative Secretary. The team will develop a National Event Safety and Security Framework and set minimum safety standards for various events.
The framework is expected to improve coordination among police, emergency responders and private security providers and strengthen risk assessment and disaster preparedness protocols.
It will also establish clear safety standards for crowd management and medical response and enhance counter-terrorism coordination and post-event reporting
According to the joint statement, tourism and events play a crucial role in the economy, generating employment, attracting visitors and supporting thousands of businesses.
Stakeholders noted that security has often been treated as an afterthought in event planning. Under the new arrangement, security planning will be prioritized from the onset.
Large-scale gatherings will now require formal risk assessments before approval. Event organizers will also be required to demonstrate coordination with police, ambulance services and fire departments.
Areas of Collaboration
The State-KEPSA partnership will focus on crowd management and ticket control, training of security personnel, medical emergency response preparedness and investment in infrastructure and security technology.
It will also focus on tackling counterfeit tickets and public health risks and cybersecurity and data protection
The proposed framework will serve as a practical guide for event planners, venues, security firms and public authorities to ensure events are safe, professionally managed and well-coordinated.
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