Kenyan employers federation raises alarm over new private security sector regulations

In a statement released on Tuesday, FKE Executive Director Jacqueline Mugo highlighted the potential adverse effects that the regulations pose on the private security sector and its workforce.

According to FKE, the decision to cancel licenses for the nine companies has not only disrupted business operations but also jeopardized the livelihoods of countless individuals employed in the sector.

"FKE strongly appeals for the immediate reinstatement of licenses for the 9 security companies whose licenses were summarily cancelled by the PSRA. The cancellation occurred without adherence to fair administrative processes enshrined in the constitution," reads the statement.

"There was no prior written notice, no opportunity for the companies to defend themselves, and no chance to address identified gaps. This hasty decision has resulted in substantial losses for the affected companies, impacting the livelihoods of countless youth, and causing disruptions for clients who rely on these services," added FKE.

The federation has further urged the suspension of the guard numbers order until comprehensive consultations can be conducted. The federation emphasizes the importance of clarifying whether these assigned numbers are linked to training and registration or employment by registered security entities.

"FKE advocates for the gazettement of revised regulations after conducting public participation in all counties. We recognize the potential challenges and propose a categorization of certain counties to streamline the process," said FKE.

Meanwhile, the federation has appealed to the Ministry of Labor to review the 1998 labor minister order governing wages and proposes a salary categorization based on competence and qualification to ensure fair compensation for security officers.

Private  Security Companies and their associations have expressed concerns about the issuance of Guard Force Number (GFN) by the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA).

A notice issued by PSRA Director General Fazul Mahamed required all employees in the private security sector, including guards, bouncers, consultants, close protection officers, and others, to attend training at institutions licensed to obtain the  security ID called GFN. 

There are between 1.2 million to 2 million employees in this sector, and the training costs between Ksh.10,000 to Ksh.12,000.

According to Private  Security Companies, questions abound on the high cost of acquiring the ID.

The security companies claim that even highly trained security directors and general managers are being forced to get training from these schools located in Eldoret, Mombasa, Nakuru, and Nairobi.