Kenya’s private security industry faces disruption with new guard-hailing app

The private security sector in Kenya is on the verge of a major transformation with the introduction of a guard-hailing app aimed at eliminating traditional security firms as middlemen.

The app promises to create a direct link between security guards and clients while ensuring fair wages and improved accountability.

The industry has been described as fundamentally broken, with security firms exploiting guards by underpaying them and overcharging clients. These companies have been blamed for acting as unnecessary middlemen, creating inefficiencies and injustices within the sector.

According to outgoing Director General of the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PRSA) Fazul Mahamed, who is the brainchild of the app, the new platform will allow clients to hire security personnel directly through a digital system, eliminating excessive administrative costs and ensuring fair wages for security guards.

He says the app, already developed, will be rolled out in phases to ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

“By the time full-scale implementation is achieved, over 1.3 million guards are expected to be onboard. The platform will implement real-time payment structures to guarantee fair wages while automatically enforcing industry compliance,” Mahamed said in an interview with the Business Daily.

During Mahamed’s tenure at PRSA, the High Court upheld a minimum wage of Ksh.30,000 for security guards.

“Kenya will be the first country in the world to implement this kind of large scale disruption in private security, While there have been attempts to digitise elements of security services in other countries, no market has successfully eliminated security firms as Intermediaries,”

The platform follows the successful disruptive models of tax-hailing apps or Airbnb — cutting out the middlemen, reducing inefficiencies, and increasing direct control for both clients and workers.

According to Mahamed, by removing security firms as intermediaries, clients will no longer bear inflated costs due to administrative overheads. Clients can also select security personnel based on their specific needs, whether they need a security guard for one night, a close protection officer for a week, or a full-time security team. They can make selections at the tap of a button without being locked into rigid contracts.

Unlike traditional security firms that dictate assignments, the platform grants guards autonomy to choose their own jobs, work hours, and time off, leading to better job satisfaction and productivity. Clients can scale security up or down instantly based on their needs. For instance, a residential neighbourhood may require fewer guards on Sundays when most residents are home but more guards on weekdays when homes are empty.

The platform’s emergency response feature ensures that assistance is deployed based on proximity rather than company affiliation, significantly reducing response times and enhancing safety.

The private security industry has long been plagued by tax evasion, with firms reportedly dodging over Ksh 14 billion in taxes annually. By digitizing payments, this platform ensures transparency in transactions, benefiting both the government and security professionals.

Clients will also rate security guards after every job, and poorly performing guards will be flagged for retraining or removal. The app, he says, has already onboarded 800,000 security guards, with projections expected to go higher.