The first group of bouncers will receive their Guard Force Numbers in a programme aimed at streamlining the industry.
Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) will on Thursday inspect at least six major entertainment joints in Nairobi County before issuing the numbers.
This will also see the bouncers serving there receive Guard Force Numbers to mark the start of new reforms introduced in the sector.
This is after they were trained on various issues including customer care.
PSRA Director General Fazul Mahamed said the inspection will be geared towards ensuring that the security guards employed by the premises are licensed according to the law.
The authority disclosed that the clubs to be inspected beginning at 8 am on the said day include Kettle House, Milan, Black Samurai, Oyster Bay, Embassy Bistrol, and Quiver Lounge Kitengela.
The others will follow, Mahamed said.
“The purpose of this inspection is to ensure that the bouncers employed or otherwise engaged by these establishments have undergone mandatory security training, are duly licensed and possess valid Guard Force Numbers (GFNs) to operate as private security service providers,” Mahamed said.
“This inspection underscores the Authority’s determination to continuous oversight and enforcement measures.”
The inspection comes a month after a raid at a bar in Nairobi where ten bouncers were arrested and charged in court for allegedly assaulting journalists and Nacada officers.
Mahamed had late last year announced the introduction of the Guard Force Numbers for private security officers, a move he said was aimed at improving oversight and coordination within the sector.
“This number is a unique identifier designed to facilitate easy recognition of private security officers by members of the public and to assist the government in keeping track of licenced private security officers,” Mahamed said.
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.
Mahamad 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 standardized 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.
He 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.
“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.
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 licensing in accordance with the Act.
