•The state will start implementing the new curriculum on the training in private security by 2023.
•This is according to National Industrial Training Authority’s Charles Kalomba.
Image: GEORGE OWITI
The National Industrial Training Authority has maintained it has a legal mandate to participate in private security training and curriculum development.
NITA director general Stephen Ogenga dismissed Private Security Regulations Authority CEO Fazul Mahamed’s claims that the Authority was illegally involved in private security training and curriculum development.
Ogenga in a letter dated July 18 told Fazul to recognize and appreciate the fact that there were several agencies involved in the curriculum development.
The two have apparently differed on which of the Authorities has the mandate to effect private security training curriculum development as part of the reforms in the sector as had been directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration months ago.
Ogenga was responding to Fazul's claims that NITA was involved in illegal activities by engaging in the said training curricula development.
"We would like to state that NITA is state cooperation whose mandate includes developing training curricula. The curriculum development review stages incorporate stakeholder participation hence the meeting referred to in your letter was duly authorized and well anchored on NITA processes. Thus your presupposition that the same was illegal and unauthorized is devoid of any basis in law or otherwise,” Ogenga said.
Ogenga said Fazul had been invited to the stakeholders' forum in which the new curriculum was validated by over 250 participants in the private security sector but never turned up.
“It further noted that you were invited to the meeting via a letter dated 24th June 2022 and an email dated 30th June 2022 both of which you never responded to nor did you attend or delegate attendance,” he said.
He said the Private Security Regulation Act requires PSRA to participate in the activities of other bodies entitled by law to set standards in respect of training of private security service providers or bodies entitled to formulate and implement skills development plans for private security services.
“Thus, your enabling statute recognizes the existence of other bodies involved in setting standards and skills development of private security service providers, and in view of this, it is, therefore, indivisible to term such activities by such bodies as illegal."
Ogenga said there was a necessity to develop a collaborative framework that will enhance service delivery by the two institutions considering the separate mandates of NITA and PSRA in relation to training and skills development for private security service providers.
He noted that effective synergy couldn’t be achieved through the exchange of letters whose implications were in the nature of Fazul’s letter under reference.
“Please be advised that NITA is a Government agency that is legally constituted and mandated to offer industrial training and curriculum development for sector-specific industries in collaboration with relevant agencies and bodies as provided for by the Industrial Training Act,” Ongenga said.
"With much respect to your office and in the spirit of the whole Government approach, we highly welcome you and your team for mutually beneficial and structured engagements to address any issues related to the curriculum development process for the private security service providers."
He was responding to Fazul who on July 6, 2022, wrote him a letter terming NITA’s private security stakeholders forum held at NITA in Athi River, Machakos County on July 5, 2022, as illegal.
Fazul had termed the private security stakeholders’ forum organized by NITA on Tuesday 5th July 2022 illegal and unauthorized.
He argued that the Private Security Regulation Act mandates the Private Security Regulatory Authority to set training standards and accredit institutions offering training for private security service providers in Kenya.
Fazul argued that the aforementioned provisions of the Act were not mere suggestions nor a proposal to be debated upon – it is the Law!
“The Authority takes great exception and umbrage in the manner with which NITA organized an illegal and unauthorized forum for private security stakeholders to discuss the formation of an illegal curriculum without involving the regulator and even worse knowing very well that there is already an existing, functional and fully operational private security training curriculum sanctioned by the Ministry of Interior & Coordination of National Government, the National Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Defence, National Police Service, National Security Advisory Committee (NASAC) and Authority,” Fazul stated.