This archive report was first published on 20 July 2020.
Published on July 20, 2020, security guards in South Nyanza have been left vulnerable to infection and job losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Kenya Private Security Workers Union and the Private Security Service Providers Association, the government has stalled the implementation of private security regulations that were set to come into effect in January.
The regulations would have doubled the minimum wages of security guards from Sh.14,000 to Sh.25,000 and allowed them to carry firearms, among other benefits.
Area Union Secretary, Bro. Zachariah Ondieki Maroro, urged the government to consider security guards under the stimulus program, saying it would support those who have lost their jobs and those infected while in the line of duty.
Maroro also criticized some employers who have used the pandemic as an excuse to render employees redundant while hiring others at lower wages or as relatives.
He raised concerns over delays in payment for the members and urged the employers to effect pay by the end of every month to enable them cater for their families during the pandemic.
The Union has 4,000 members across Kisii, Nyamira, parts of Homa Bay, Migori, Bomet, and Kericho Counties.
Chairman of the Security Service Providers Association, Rev. James Mogire, petitioned the government to involve their organizations when harmonizing laws that affect them, so they can give their input.
Rev. Mogire noted that remuneration was a challenge for some firms due to lack of business, citing rental premises and institutions of learning that have closed.
Security guards have appealed for more vigilance and provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
