Private security guards to be issued with guns in six months : The Standard

Kenyans will soon start seeing armed private security officers guarding banks, shops, supermarkets and other private premises like their Ugandan counterparts. This comes after Private Security Regulatory Authority gave a green light to the private security officers to carry guns as the first line of defense against any incident. But the guards will have to go through a rigorous six months mandatory training on the use and handling of the guns According to Private Security Regulatory Authority, Director General, Fazul Mohamed, the private security officers will also go through counter terrorism training and a yearly refresher course in line with their duties.

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Fazul was speaking after meeting a team of senior officials of private security associations on Friday in Nairobi He said that this is in line with the government’s directive in integrating national security “We have come up with a curriculum on the same which is expected to be launched in two weeks. Participants will also be taken through counter terrorism training,” said Fazul Training of trainers who will in turn train the private security officers is expected to be conducted by the authority to commence in a few weeks. The authority has also undertaken to conduct a thorough vetting on the trainee of trainers otherwise known as TOT. While acknowledging that there might be some elements in the private security sector who may want to take advantage of the changes to engage in criminal activities.

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Fazul said the authority would put in place a regulation that would require security firms to have armories to help in the safe keeping of the firearms, and only to be used by an officer on duty. “Fears of misuse of the arms will be guided by having an armory at every private security firm allowed to carry firearms. They will then have control over the guns and will be answerable to any eventuality,” added Mohamed This comes against the backdrop of a terror attack that claimed 21 lives including one police officer that was executed within Kenyan territories, at DusitD2 Hotel in Nairobi on January 14. Other similar attacks took place on April 2, 2015 at Garissa University where 152 people including the attackers lost their lives and on September 21, 2013 where 71 lives were lost. During these incidences, private security guards were the first line of defense. Critics have said that if the security guards had proper training, the situation could have been controlled in the initial stages whereby preventing the loss of lives.

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Related Topics

Private Security Regulatory AuthorityFazul MohamedFred Matiang'iTerror AttackSecurity Guards