New minimum wage set for private security guards
By Kevin CheruiyotThousands of Kenyans working as security guards in private security companies will be smiling in the banks next month if the companies comply with minimum wage guidelines.
This is after the Director General of the Private Security Regulatory Authority, Fazul Mohamed, asked private security firms to submit their commitment to the government’s recent guidelines on the minimum wage for their workers.
All private security companies have seven days to submit their pledge or risk losing their operating licences.
“Take notice: Any private security company that fails to submit a duly signed, and commissioned copy of the Legal Commitment within the next seven days from the date of this directive shall be subjected to a statutory review of its registration and licensing status in accordance with Section 32 of the Act,” Mr Fazul said in a letter dated January 29.
If all private security service providers comply with the guidelines, employees within the Nairobi Metropolitan area will earn a monthly salary of Sh30,000, while those offering their services outside the Nairobi Metropolitan will earn Sh27,183.
The commitment notice also states that failure to comply will the government’s set minimum wage requirement will attract other legal consequences, including fines, and penalties.
Section 32 of the Private Security Regulation Act No. 13 of 2016 allows the authority to cancel the license of any firm that will knowingly and willfully give false information of a material nature in connection with its application for the grant or renewal of its licence among others.
The private security companies are also expected to maintain accurate records of all payments, and statutory deductions made to its security officers, including documentation supporting compliance with minimum, and such records shall be made available for inspection upon request by the authority.
The move is expected to bring to an end frequent protests that had been witnessed before by a section of Kenya National Private Security Workers Union (KNPSWU) demanding better pay and improvement to their working condition.