The Kenya Private Security Workers Union (KPSWU) is urging the government to take tough action against private security companies that continue to ignore legal and regulatory requirements. The union wants the state to withdraw the licenses of firms that are repeatedly violating the rules governing the sector.
KPSWU says the government must act urgently to protect security officers from exploitative and dishonest company owners who refuse to follow the standards meant to improve working conditions, pay, and professionalism in the industry.
In a statement on Friday, October 10, the union’s Secretary General, Isaac Andabwa, revealed that several firms are disregarding the policies and regulations set by the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA).
He said this ongoing defiance is causing frustration and demoralization among guards who had hoped reforms would bring real change.
Andabwa noted that despite official reforms—such as the introduction of a six percent minimum wage increase and the rollout of the Guard Force Number system—many private firms have refused to implement any of these changes.
According to him, this denial of benefits amounts to deliberate sabotage of workers’ rights.
He questioned why PSRA continues issuing licenses to firms that break government rules.
“The new leadership at PSRA, especially the CEO and the Board, must re-examine their mandate. You cannot continue giving licences to thieves in this sector,” he said.
He went on to criticize the regulator for enabling non-compliance:
“The authority is licensing people who don’t follow the very government guidelines they are supposed to enforce.
What does that say about the regulator? Licences should only go to investors and businesses that respect the law and have the interests of the country at heart.”
Andabwa stressed that it makes no sense to keep licensing individuals or companies who violate the same rules set by the government.
He added that cartels and rogue operators are dragging down the industry and blocking necessary reforms.
“What we need to focus on is what government policy says. If a company cannot meet the required standards, it should not operate in the industry at all,” he insisted.
Concerns Over Minimum Wage Enforcement
The union’s latest appeal follows a similar call it made in February 2025, when KPSWU pushed the government to shut down private security firms that were refusing to pay the legally set minimum wage.
In October 2024, President William Ruto announced a six percent increase in minimum wages across multiple sectors. This decision was gazetted on Friday, October 11, through a notice signed by the then Labour Cabinet Secretary, Alfred Mutua.
According to the Labour Institutions Act, Cap 234, the minimum wage for unskilled workers was set at Ksh7,997 per month, which is equal to Ksh335 per day.
Night guards working in major cities were to be paid Ksh813 per day, amounting to Ksh16,959 per month. Those stationed in former municipalities and town councils such as Ruiru, Limuru, and Mavoko were supposed to earn Ksh15,722 monthly. All other night watchmen were to receive Ksh9,672 per month.
However, the union argues that many companies have simply ignored these directives and continue to underpay guards, claiming the government is failing to enforce its own policies.
KPSWU is now demanding immediate intervention to restore dignity, fairness, and order in the private security sector and to ensure that companies that willfully break the law are stripped of their licences.
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