Nairobi — The government has embarked on efforts to streamline the private security sector in bid to integrate it with the national security architecture in the wake of emerging security threats across the country.
Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said Thursday when Kenya marked the 10th anniversary of the Westgate Mall terrorist attack, that coordination between law enforcement agencies and the private security sector is critical in confronting emerging crimes such as terrorism and related crimes.
He stated that utilizing private security agents is essential to enhancing the country's overall security as well as safeguard citizens lives.
"We acknowledge the private security sector for plugging into our national security architecture. We have set about streamlining the industry, which has not only elevated our overall security infrastructure, but also spurred significant job creation and contributed to economic growth," Omollo said.
PS Omollo further paid tribute to those who lost their lives during the September 21, 2013 incident adding that Kenya stands in solidarity with their grieving families.
He reaffirmed government's commitment to safeguarding her citizens noting that security agencies are working round the clock to keep terrorist and other criminal elements at bay.
"The events surrounding the siege shook our country to its core and left an indelible mark on our soil. But over and above that, the aftermath served as a testament to our collective strength and resilience, and taught us invaluable lessons on vigilance, preparedness, emergency response and the importance of never lowering our guard against any threat to our public security and safety," he said.
Reflecting on the lessons of the incident which left 67 dead, Omollo said the government is actively bolstering the capabilities of the security agencies through increased recruitment of security personnel and creation of specialized units and elite squads.
PS Omollo further said that the government is also procuring modern equipment for security personnel as outlined in the Police Equipment Modernization Programme.
He added that the government aims to sustain the highest level of surveillance along its borders and covert security operations across the country and neutralize the criminal elements.
"This approach has yielded tremendous results in terms of the number of foiled terror attacks targeted at us," he said while lauding the security agents for paying the ultimate price while protecting the country's sovereignty.
"We pay homage to our men and women in uniform for their selfless sacrifices and remember those who have paid the ultimate price while protecting us."
Further, PS Omollo said the government will continue securing strategic partnerships with international partners to build collective resilience against terrorism.
Speaking at the anniversary event, Fazul Mahamed, Director General, Private Security Regulatory Authority (PRSA), said the deep penetration of PSOs into society, coupled with their daily interaction with citizens, strategically places the officers at the centre of raw intelligence, giving them unfettered access to a treasure trove of information vital to the planning and other security measures.
He added that private security agents create a perfect human surveillance system whose intelligence, he argues "is not only credible, but real-time."
"The static nature of the PSOs' deployment enables them to have a clear and intimate knowledge of what is 'normal' at their workstations, enabling them to quickly spot tell-tale trends that are deemed inconsistent and 'out of the norm' and of immense interest to our national intelligence network," Mahamed said.
Commenting on the plans to integrate the private security industry into the national security infrastructure, Mahamed said the move will enhance intelligence gathering, information sharing, crime detection and deterrence, crime scene protection and the collection and preservation of evidence.
"Once formalised, private security providers will have a direct line of communication with the government's command and control centre to minimize bureaucratic red tape and speed up response in emergencies," he added.
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The Chairman of Kenya Security Industry Association (KSIA) Jeremy Van Tongeren who also spoke emphasized the need to leverage on technology integration in the private security framework.
He explained that the rapid advancement of technology has significantly impacted the security sector hence the need for investment in the field.
"It is imperative that we stay at the forefront of this innovations investing heavily in the state-of-the-art surveillance to data analytics. By doing so, we can provide more effective and efficient security to our clients," he said.
Isaac Andabwa, the Secretary General, the Kenya National Private Security Workers Union (KNPSWU) disclosed that the union is actively advocating for improved remuneration and comprehensive benefits for private security agents, recognizing them as the first line of defence in the event of security crises.
