A section of security guards in Kenya have expressed concerns over their alleged exclusion from consultative meetings on reforms in the sector. The guards, who are members of the Protective Guards Association of Kenya (PROGAK), claim that they have been sidelined from crucial deliberations despite being key stakeholders. This comes after President William Ruto directed the Interior Ministry to hold consultative meetings over the guards' grievances and come up with a report within 60 days.
President Ruto's directive was made on August 6, 2026, when thousands of security guards visited State House, Nairobi. The areas of focus for the reforms include harmonization of the legal and regulatory framework governing the private security sector, measures to ensure compliance with the gazette statutory minimum wage, and enforcement of training and professionalization of security personnel. The first consultative meeting was held on August 12, 2026, at the NSSF Building in Nairobi, chaired by Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua.
Subsequent meetings have been held at Harambee House, where the Ministry of Interior is domiciled, as stakeholders race against time to beat the 60-day deadline. However, PROGAK chairperson Moses Otieno claims that his attempt to participate in discussions on September 16 at Harambee House ended in disappointment after he was kicked out of the meeting for allegedly questioning the membership composition of the newly established Private Security Wage Council.
Otieno expressed concerns that the final report will not capture the views of security guards, essentially defeating the purpose of the deliberations. He stated that any process purporting to reform an entire industry ought to be conducted through a transparent, inclusive, and genuinely participatory framework that recognizes the legitimate representatives of the affected workers. According to Otieno, their exclusion from the process undermines the principles of workers' representation and participation.
The security guards are concerned that the reforms may not address their perennial challenges, including poor pay and working conditions, lack of proper training, and non-remittance of statutory deductions from their salaries. Despite the establishment of the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA), which was supposed to professionalize the sector, guards continue to face these challenges. The Authority has been accused of failing to address these issues, which were laid bare to President Ruto when the guards visited him at State House.
A source close to the deliberations revealed that the draft copy of the report is ready for final fine-tuning during a retreat on a yet-to-be-decided date. The proposals presented by various stakeholders have been consolidated in the draft copy, which will be reviewed before the final report is presented to the Head of State. President Ruto had instructed relevant state agencies and stakeholders to begin work on the directive immediately and present a progress report within 60 days.
The security guards' concerns have raised questions about the inclusivity and legitimacy of the reform process. Otieno stated that it is unfortunate that a process intended to address longstanding challenges in the industry may now be proceeding in circumstances that create questions regarding its inclusivity and legitimacy. The issue has sparked concerns about the effectiveness of the reforms in addressing the challenges faced by security guards in Kenya.
Key points
- Security guards in Kenya have been excluded from consultative meetings on reforms in the sector, despite being key stakeholders.
- The reforms aim to address perennial challenges faced by security guards, including poor pay and working conditions.
- The security guards' exclusion from the process has raised questions about the inclusivity and legitimacy of the reform process.
