President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed a former security guard as chairperson of the Board of National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority.
On Friday, March 20, through the Kenya Gazette Vol. CXXII No. 50, Kenyatta appointed Erick Okeyo, who rose to become the CEO of Bedrock Security Services, a firm that specialises in electronic security solutions, security personnel, cash in transit and investigations.
"In exercise of the powers conferred to me, I appoint Eric Okeyo to be the chairperson of the board for a period of three (3) years. with effect from Friday, March 20.
"The appointment of David ole Nkedienye' is revoked with effect from the aforementioned date," Kenyatta directed.
An article by The Standard in 2015, detailed Okeyo's journey, from a security guard at Nile Perch Victoria in Kisumu to a bouncer at Octopus Nightclub and later joined security service firm, G4S, where he rose to become a controller.
“I was in charge of the control room, handling all deployments and emergencies. I was then poached by Modern Security to be an assistant manager in Nakuru. Within one and a half years, I joined Patriotic Guards as a manager in charge of Nakuru Branch," Okello detailed, adding that he later enrolled for a diploma in marketing.
He went on to work for Patriotic Guards from 1997 to 2009, where he became the deputy chief executive officer in charge of operations, before quitting to form his own firm, Bedrock Security Services.
"That’s when I quit to form my own security company, which offers security services to a lot of upmarket residential clients," Okeyo disclosed.
The entrepreneur then set out to create employment for others and help nurture their careers.
"The tea girl at my former company also quit when I did, went to school and is now an assistant manager at Bedrock. Three guards who quit with me are now branch managers. I believe in someone’s potential. All these guys had no degrees but they joined me. I encouraged them to go to school and they are all part of the Bedrock family.
“Among the locally owned security firms, I can confidently say we are the largest, or second largest. Three of the largest security companies right now have chief executive officers who worked under me at one time or another," Okeyo affirmed.
