- Fazul has cancelled licenses of nine firms.
- CS Bore has distanced herself from the pay directive.
Image: MINA
Private security firms have described as punitive the new minimum wage bill for guards being pushed by the government and warned that it risks pushing them out of business.
Sector regulator, Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA), has pegged the minimum wage for guards at Sh30,000.
But Protective Security Industry Association (PSIA) have rejected the salary increment.
They termed the new push as illegal, saying the mandate of adjusting salaries rests with the Ministry of Labour and not the Fazul Mahamed-led PSRA.
PSIA chairman Cosmas Mutava argued that any adjustment on salaries should first be gazetted by Labour CS Florence Bore.
He said the issue of salaries is outside PSRA's mandate.
“We believe the minimum wage is a mandate of the Ministry of Labour as provided under the Employment Act No 11 of 2007,” Mutava said.
“Private security wages have up to now been guided by the Protective Security Services Order 1998. The wages order provided for a comprehensive wage/benefits guideline for private security guards.”
According to Mutava, the order is subject to amendments only by the Ministry of Labour and was last amended in 2022 via Gazette Notice No 125.
Currently, the minimum pay for daytime security officers is about Sh15,201.65 and Sh16,959 for nighttime guards.
Fazul has issued an ultimatum to all security firms to adjust guards salaries to Sh30,000 in Nairobi and Sh27,000 for those outside the capital city.
CS Bore has disowned a directive by Fazul that private security firms commit to pay their guards Sh30,000 minimum salary.
The CS distanced the ministry from the directive issued by the PSRA CEO.
“My ministry’s attention is drawn to publications in sections of both mainstream print and electronic media as well as social media platforms on a pay raise of the minimum wage for private security guards," she said
Currently, there are 2,500 security firms in Kenya, employing more than 1.2 million personnel, according to the association.
“It is of great concern to us that PSRA is using this minimum wage compliance as a pretext for denial or cancellation of operation licenses for selected security firms when the issue is clearly outside PSRA’s mandate," Mutava said.
“The purported cancellation was done in contravention of PSRA Act Articles 32 and 43, which provide appeal and notice of such intentions before such a drastic measure can be undertaken. This is a clear demonstration of impunity and disregard of the law by the PSRA CEO.”
On February 5, the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) issued a legal notice cancelling the licenses of nine companies.
The companies had previously passed through stringent vetting procedures and been issued with five-year operating licenses, apart from three whose applications were being processed.