How technology can fix insecurity in East Africa

There has been a major increase in the security threat across the region over the last 5 years and security has become big business in East Africa.

There are more guns in circulation and there are more sophisticated criminals in operation, so day to day security challenges are becoming ever more complicated, and it is not just a localised threat any more.

Security is big business across the globe, and for a very real reason. Police and security services in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, France and Denmark are all on high alert following recent attacks by so-called “home-grown” terrorists inspired by groups such as al-Shabaab and Islamic State, but the security environments in the UK, mainland Europe and the US are all distinct, with very different histories of terrorist threats, and varying levels of intelligence services and surveillance capability.

And their security responses are changing rapidly. In response to the increased level of threat in Kenya we have seen many more international suppliers entering the market offering the latest CCTV camera systems and scanners for offices, shopping malls and public spaces, as well as logistics companies and security companies offering a range of ‘off the shelf’ tech solutions to anyone able to foot the bill.

This equipment is expensive however, and most commercial and industrial properties in Nairobi are still protected with barbed wire and electric fences, with day and night guards as standard.

In some cases, for those who can afford it, these standard security measures work alongside surveillance cameras, manual searches with hand held or walk-through scanners, mirrors checking under cars, and occasionally sniffer dogs.

So the question to ask is: “is this the best that modern technology can offer, and most importantly, is it making us safer?”

The issue is not necessarily the technology, but rather the expertise and experience that goes into choosing which technology will work best, and how that technology is adapted to the local environment - which is not the same as in other countries where power outages are rare and weather conditions are very different (for example ‘vertical rain’ which affects camera operations), plus the expertise of the team monitoring the equipment behind the scenes.

A lot of the security we see in Kenya is about the perceived deterrent, and has traditionally been about providing a visible force.

The public feels safer if we see lots of guards; we have got used to being searched at entrances, and having our car boots searched and car undercarriage checked with a mirror.

We have also got used to more CCTV, but many of the visible security measures we are familiar with are in fact little more than ‘theatre’.

Security is not the same as risk management, which is about understanding the nuances of the very real risks that we face, and about finding real solutions that address that risk effectively, and efficiently.

The reality is that many security companies are offering the same solutions that have been around for 20 years, perhaps with some more modern cameras thrown in, and costs have been steadily increasing.

So, while there is an increasing threat, there has been no corresponding impact in security performance, so most business owners are being asked to pay more for their security yet find their property is still not adequately protected.

Current systems are expensive, outmoded and easily corruptible partly because of the human element, so technology is ultimately going to offer a far more efficient, and cheaper, option – but only if it is utilised correctly. Security is big business, but clever use of the right technology, tailored to the local market’s needs, does not have to equate to a big spend for the buyer.

Greater use of technology should ultimately also be about reducing the costs.There are solutions available now that cherry pick from the latest 21st Century security technologies tailored to the Kenyan market, using a combination of smart cameras and virtual trip wire technology for example, which will revolutionise the way we approach security in this region.

It is vital that we take away reliance on the guard-based solutions currently available in the Kenyan market, but most importantly we must improve the efficacy of our security solutions.

It may be time to update our approach to security around the world, but let’s start by getting it right in Kenya.