Nairobi — The government now requires employers of private security guards to pay them a minimum of Sh30,000 gross salary each month in order to improve their terms of service and benefits.

The Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) Director General Fazul Mahamed has established a minimum wage of Sh18,994.08 for security guards, a home allowance of Sh2,849.11 and an overtime allowance of Sh8,156.81, total gross pay being Sh30,000.

"A person who hires, employs or otherwise engages the services of any private security service provider and pays or remunerates them below the mandated basic minimum wage prescribed herein commits an offence and shall be liable to a fine or to both such fine and imprisonment in the case of a natural person and two million shillings in the case of a corporate." he stated

Furthermore, the Authority has begun the worldwide registration, licensing, and issue of Guard Force Numbers (GFN) to individual private security service providers such as private security guards, corporate security officers, and all other persons providing security services.

The Authority has stated that regardless of whether such a person has been employed by a government institution, agency, or body, by any individual, security companies, corporate entities, organizations, associations, or any other entity recognized by law, the terms of employment will be the same.

"A person who operates as a private security service provider without being the holder of a valid training certificate from an institution accredited by the Authority; and/or operates as a private security service provider without being registered by the authority in accordance with the provisions of the act commits an offence and shall be liable to a fine or to both such fine and imprisonment in the case of a natural person and two million shillings in the case of a corporate." Mahamed stated