Private Security Guards to Earn More in New Move by Regulatory Authority

The Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) has finally set the basic minimum monthly wages for all private security guards operating in Kenya.

The minimum pay will be Sh18,994 with a house allowance of Sh2,849.11 and overtime allowance of Sh8,156.81, totaling to Sh30,000 per month.

The statutory deductions will be National Social Security Fund (Sh1080), Social Health Insurance Fund (Sh825), Pay As You Earn (Sh1229.75) and affordable house levy (Sh450).

The PSRA Director General Fazul Mahaned has directed employers to comply with the directives warning that any employer who remunerates guards below the mandated basic minimum shall be liable to a fine of Sh2 million, according to the law.

The PSRA has also commenced nationwide registration, licensing, and issuance of Guard Force Numbers (GFN) to private security officers.

Those to be issued with the numbers include private security guards, corporate security officers, and all persons providing private security services, either employed or otherwise engaged by Government institutions or agencies.

It is now a mandatory requirement for all guards to undergo training in security matters in an institution accredited by the Authority as a prerequisite requirement for registration and licensing in accordance with Section 23 (2) (d) of the Act.

“The guards who will be undergoing Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) accredited training will be issued with Security Force Numbers,” he said.

Any person, including Government institutions, security companies, corporate entities, organizations, and associations –who hires employs or otherwise engages the services of any private security service provider and pays or remunerates them below the mandated basic minimum shall be liable to a fine of Sh2 million, according to the Private Security Regulatory Act.

The PSRA is established to regulate the Private Security Industry in accordance with the Act and the values and principles set out in the Constitution.

Section 69 of the Private Security Regulation Act states that a person who operates as a private security service provider without being the holder of a valid training certificate from an institution accredited by the Authority or without being registered by the Authority commits an offence and is liable to a fine of Sh2 million.

Fazul said the Guard Force Number was the only proof that a Private Security Officer has been duly registered and licensed by the Authority in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

The government is in the process of fully integrating the private security industry into the national security infrastructure.

This will enhance intelligence gathering, information sharing, crime detection and deterrence, crime scene protection and the collection and preservation of evidence.

Once formalised, private security providers will have a direct line of communication with the government’s command and control centre to minimise bureaucratic red tape and speed up response in emergencies.

The broad and deep penetration of PSOs into society, coupled with their daily interaction with fellow citizens across all social strata, strategically places the officers at the centre of raw intelligence, giving them unfettered access to a treasure trove of information vital to the planning and other security measures, according to experts.

The PSRA is also developing a grading system that will recalibrate reward systems to ensure that officers who are deemed to have excelled in service delivery not only receive appropriate recognition, but also higher grade categorisation and placement in more professionally challenging service cadres.

In July this year, the government launched the first private security training institute in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county.

The Miale Security Training Institution, the Curriculum and Training guidelines for this security sector were launched by the Internal Security Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo.

The launch was not only to meet the growing demand for well-trained professionals but also raise the bar for industry standards, ensuring the highest level of professionalism, competence, and integrity in the private security sector.

Fazul said there was need to professionalize the sector since private guards are part of the first line of emergency response.

“Their actions make a significant difference in the outcome of critical situations, highlighting their crucial role in ensuring public safety and security,” he said.

The sector currently employs over 900,000 people, with this industry now worth more than Sh100 billion annually, and regarded as a critical driver for Kenya’s economy in terms of job creation and contribution to our GDP growth.

The latest developments are aimed at re-engineering and streamlining the sector’s operations to ensure effective and efficient service delivery.

This would involve providing them with the right training so that they can detect, deter and effectively respond to the current and emerging security threats appropriately.

The guards will also be adequately equipped with requisite security equipment and tools of trade to enable them handle security situations in times of need.

Fazul revealed they are in the process of developing a policy framework set to prioritize National Youth Service (NYS) training as a key consideration for employment by private security companies.

He said the move will partly help solve the challenge of huge unemployment among the trained NYS youth.

The policy will see to it that the private security officers absorbed into the sector are well-trained to handle different security threats.

“This is a win-win scenario for the private security industry, which will have easy access to a pool of skilled and professional personnel for employment, and for the government, which will see this as a synergistic engagement with huge potential for youth employment,” he said.

According to Fazul, it costs the government over Sh250,000 to train one  NYS serviceman/servicewoman from admission to completion of their course and subsequent graduation.

Ironically, and at great cost to the taxpayer and the youth themselves, Fazul said that the government-funded investment entailing rigorous 6-month paramilitary training, is underutilized.

Upon graduation, he said there is no established framework for the absorption, transition, placement and/or employment of the members of the NYS in either the private or public sector.

“This is despite the fact that the NYS programmes embody security, intelligence and paramilitary training that provides a prepared pool of highly competent, screened and vetted soldiers with a high level of discipline that translates directly into the requirements for entry into the private security industry,” he said.

He further emphasized that the deep penetration of PSOs into society, coupled with their daily interaction with citizens, strategically places the officers at the centre of raw intelligence, giving them unfettered access to a treasure trove of information vital to planning and other security measures.
The move was welcomed by the Kenya National Private Security Workers Union secretary general Isaac Andabwa who said it was long overdue.