This archive report was first published on 18 July 2019.
Kenya's private security industry is undergoing a significant transformation with the introduction of new regulations aimed at improving standards and professionalism.
The Private Security (General) Regulations 2019, gazetted on July 5, 2019, by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, require all individual and corporate private security service providers to register with the Private Security Regulatory Authority by January 5, 2020.
Users of private security services, including homeowners and shopping centre owners, are also required to hire or engage only registered and licensed private security officers and firms from January 5, 2020, to avoid committing an offence.
The regulations, which operationalise the Private Security Regulation Act 2016 and the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) under it, aim to address the industry's growth path, which has been characterised by low standards and professionalism.
The new regulations place a premium on value addition, requiring firms to pay guards in their employ at least the minimum wage, which varies depending on the location. For instance, in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu, the minimum wage for a night guard is Sh27,993, while in municipalities like Nakuru, Nyeri, and Kakamega, it is Sh25,905 and Sh23,208, respectively.
The use of firearms for provision of private security services remains unlawful until Parliament amends the Act, despite the introduction of a category of licence known as 'Armed Escort Services', which has been clarified to be for service providers who use armed police officers for some of their services.
The regulations also provide a framework for cooperation between private security and the national security organs, including guidelines for requesting crucial information and instances of national disaster or calamity where private security officers may be called in to assist in disaster management.
Three special powers have been granted to registered private security officers, including the power to arrest, the power to search, and the power to temporarily withhold identification documents, with care taken to ensure they are exercised in a way that does not infringe on individual rights.
Lastly, emphasis has been placed on training to raise service standards and spur professionalism and career paths, with all personnel in the industry required to undergo training before registration with the PSRA and mandatory annual training for licence renewal.
