- All bouncers will be required to operate under cooperating entities as part of reforms being introduced in the sub-sector.
- The bouncers will be trained in dealing with illegal drugs and emergency planning.
Image: FILE
When the Director General of the Private Security Regulatory Authority Fazul Mahamad told a group of bouncers that their body physique was no longer needed in their work, they all laughed and clapped at him.
According to Fazul, the lives and times of bouncers in the country have been horrible and need to urgently change for the better.
“You will not need to wake up and rush to a gym, take enhancement pills to look big and fight to be successful. Times have changed and all you need is knowledge and skills to work,” he said.
“What is the role of a big body, it’s no longer about protein supplements, you must get knowledge and sit for an exam.
“We also do not want people who log in on Netflix and watch Prison Break to get inspiration and say they are security experts,"
Fazul said a typical bouncer has been waking up at about 11 am, rushes to a nearby gym or working area and comes back for heavy breakfast cum lunch.
This is then followed by some supplements to enhance his body physique. Later in the day, he or she waits to be deployed to social joints for work which runs overnight.
“This goes on without even background information on who one is hiring or better pay,” he said.
As part of efforts to address the issue, all bouncers will be required to operate under cooperating entities as part of reforms being introduced in the sub-sector.
This was revealed during the start of the training and vetting of the bouncers.
Fazul said the order to have the bouncers join corporate bodies or vetted companies is aimed at ensuring accountability.
It is also part of ongoing reforms in the area that is gaining notoriety.
“To enhance accountability, all bouncers are hereby mandated to operate under the umbrella of corporate entities.”
“By aligning bouncer operations with corporate structures, there is a greater emphasis on standardised protocols, background checks, and training,” he said.
This will also among others ensure their welfare is taken care of.
“Entities will recruit bouncers from known companies. We need to have order in this area,” he said.
In a bid to professionalise the industry, the PSRA has come up with a raft of measures including setting the basic minimum monthly wages of Sh30,000 for all private security guards operating in Kenya. This is where the bouncers and others will fall and benefit.
He said those found offering the services of a bouncer without being the holder of a valid training certificate from an institution accredited by PSRA or operating as a bouncer without being registered and licensed by the Authority commit an offence and shall be liable to such fine and imprisonment in the case of a natural person and Sh2 million in the case of a corporate.
Additionally, a person who hires employs or otherwise engages in the services of any unlicenced bouncer commits an offence and shall be liable to such fine and imprisonment in the case of a natural person and Sh2 million in the case of a corporate.
Fazul told the group the world is changing and needs more skills to handle other than physical force.
“You must undergo training to know how to detect some of these incidents. The people you deal with are your clients, not enemies,” he said.
He said the new process of vetting the group is mandatory.
“Let it be clear from the onset, vetting, training and licensing is not a choice but a non-negotiable requirement of the law," he said.
“This initiative is a critical pillar of the government's broader security reform agenda and particularly a great milestone in addressing the various skills and knowledge gaps within this cadre of workers in the private security industry."
He said custodians of safety and order in entertainment venues, recreational facilities, and sporting establishments, bouncers, bodyguards, event stewards, door supervisors, event security, VIP protection, close protection, and crowd control security personnel are subject to and must, at all times respect and comply with the provisions of the PSRA Act No. 13 of 2016.
Sections 21 and 28 of the Act require that no person shall engage in the provision of private security services unless that person has undergone mandatory security vetting, training and licencing in accordance with the Act.
“Woe unto those who will dare treat them as anything less than binding obligations. In strict compliance with the law, a person offering the services of any of the above-referenced security personnel must undergo security vetting, be registered and licensed to operate as a private security service provider.”
He added the group or any other person hired or otherwise engaged to ensure order and safety on premises used for entertainment, recreational or sporting purposes are required to within the next three weeks to undergo training in security matters within an institution accredited by PSRA as a prerequisite requirement for registration and licencing in accordance with the law.
The training regimen shall equip them with an expansive array of skills, encompassing strategies for preventing and defusing conflict situations, proficiency in venue searches, pat down searches and bag searches and professionalism, customer care and communication skills.
They will be trained in dealing with illegal drugs and emergency planning.
“Upon successful completion of the training, the Authority will issue Guard Force Numbers (GFN) to registered and licensed bouncers. It is mandatory for all bouncers to visibly wear the Guard Force Numbers bearing their names and license numbers while on duty.”
“The Guard Force Number (GFN) - is the Government seal of approval. It dignifies you as a professional and it is your badge of honor,” he said.
The move came after bouncers at Kettle House Bar in Lavington assaulted police and journalists during an operation.