State to vet security guards in universities, colleges

Following increased cases of insecurity within institutions of higher learning, the government will vet all security guards employed in universities, colleges and national polytechnics.

Further targeted are guards working in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. The guards will also be trained and licensed by Private Security Regulatory Authority (PRSA), which has invited heads of security from those institutions for sensitisation meeting in Nairobi.

“Following increased incidences of insecurity within and around the universities in Kenya, it has been decided that a meeting with heads of security and officers in charge of security in public and private universities, and institutions of higher learning be held with a view of ensuring that our institutions of higher learning are safe and secure,” said the authority’s director general Fazul Mahamed.

The sensitisation forum will be held on February 22 at the Kenya School of Government in Kabete. It comes days after Kelvin Mwenda, a student at Multimedia University was attacked and injured by a hyena.

The incident sparked protests that saw students paralyse transport along Magadi Road.

Last year, 18-year-old Mercy Jerono died four days after reporting to Daystar University Athi River campus. She was allegedly stabbed in her room on September 9.

It is because of such incidences that PRSA want guards employed in institutions of higher learning trained on how to manage security within their respective stations.

“In view of the foregoing, the government has commenced the mandatory nationwide security vetting, training and licensing of all in-house security officers and all officers offering security services, be they employed by the said institutions or otherwise engaged as private security service providers,” said Fazul.

Section 21 and 28 of the Private Security Regulation Act, provides that no persons engage in the provision of security services unless they have been vetted, registered and licensed.

“A person who hires, employs or otherwise engages security officers who are not security vetted, duly trained, registered and licensed by the Authority; commits an offence and shall be liable to both such fine and imprisonment,” states Section 69 (2) of the Act.