The Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) has issued a directive mandating all private security firms to cease deducting training costs from employees' salaries immediately.
Branding these deductions as "unauthorised" and "illegal," PSRA has made it clear that such practices will not be tolerated.
PSRA stated that it has received reports that some security guards have been subjected to deductions of up to Ksh10,000 for security training expenses.
PSRA's Director General, Fazul Mahamed, voiced his disapproval, stating, "It is reported that some security companies deduct as much as KES 10,000/= from private security officers, thereby adversely affecting the financial well-being of these security personnel."
Effective immediately, Fazul Mahamed directed, "No private security company shall deduct monies from private security officers (security guards) to cover security training costs."
This directive aligns with the Private Security Regulation Act 2016, which mandates that private security service providers are legally obligated to offer both basic and continuous training to their employees.
The Act stipulates that registered service providers must supply basic training for new employees, particularly where state institutions do not, as well as ongoing training that encompasses international and national law, cultural sensitivity, first aid, gender issues, and other relevant topics.
Fazul reiterated that the responsibility to provide such training rests solely on the service providers.
Moreover, PSRA has ordered that any security company which has already deducted money for mandatory security training must promptly refund the amounts deducted.
The Authority has warned that non-compliance will result in severe consequences. "Security firms persisting in such deductions will be subjected to a statutory review of their registration and licensing status under Section 32 of the Act," the PSRA stated.
In another significant move, the PSRA declared on Tuesday, June 18, that companies failing to submit a duly signed and commissioned commitment to pay security officers a minimum wage of Ksh30,000 would face closure.
The deadline for submitting these documents has passed, and the PSRA has begun a review process to identify non-compliant companies. The regulator’s crackdown on these practices highlights a broader effort to ensure that private security officers are treated fairly and justly within the industry.
