Why Ruto's wage increase pledge rings hollow for private security workers

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The announcement of a 12 per cent increase in the minimum wage by President William Ruto on Labour Day has left many workers, particularly those in the private security sector, questioning the true value of this gesture.

While the increase may seem like a step in the right direction, it is, in reality, nothing more than a hollow promise for many security officers who remain trapped in a cycle of exploitation and neglect. The crux of the issue lies not in the presidential proclamations but in the lack of meaningful implementation of the laws and regulations that should be protecting the rights of these workers.

As it stands, the government’s failure to enforce regulations and ensure the proper vetting of security companies means that those companies which refuse to comply with the law will continue to thrive. Meanwhile, the law-abiding employers who are committed to upholding workers’ rights, following the law, and paying taxes are the ones who will suffer.

The situation is frustratingly simple: companies that cheat the system, avoid paying taxes, and flout the law are rewarded, while those who play by the rules are punished by the very system that should be protecting them.

Take, for instance, the case of the security officers who are affected by the Sh30,000 minimum wage gazetted by the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA). What many fail to realise is that PSRA is actually acting as a shield for these employers, protecting them from the annual political increments that would otherwise negatively affect their businesses.

The Sh30,000 minimum wage is a reasonable and necessary step to safeguard the workers’ livelihoods, yet it is opposed by some employers who have gone to court to block its implementation. This is a tragic irony – the very institutions that should be upholding the law and protecting workers’ rights are, instead, fighting to keep workers in poverty.

The real issue, however, is not simply the lack of proper enforcement or the failure of certain employers to comply with the law. The deeper problem is the systemic corruption and the influence of powerful individuals in the government who own or have stakes in security companies.

These individuals, often sitting at the top of the decision-making chains, have vested interests in keeping the status quo, where profits come before people.

Of the more than two thousand security companies in Kenya, fewer than twenty are fully compliant with the law. This highlights the sheer scale of the problem and the government’s failure to regulate and enforce laws in a meaningful way.

The Kenya National Private Security Workers Union (KNPSWU) has been vocal in its attempts to engage with the government, yet time and again, these efforts have fallen on deaf ears. The union’s leadership has approached the relevant ministries, but nothing of substance has come from these talks. When top union officials attempt to reach the President himself, they are met with closed doors. The communication channels have been shut down, leaving the security officers powerless and ignored.

The promises of wage increase and better working conditions ring hollow when the very same employers who are meant to comply with these regulations are allowed to break the law without consequence.

The situation is dire, and the workers know it. They have seen through the political rhetoric, and they know that these token wage increases will do little to improve their quality of life if nothing is done to tackle the root causes of their problems – weak governance by the regulator.

Until then, the workers of Kenya will continue to suffer in silence, and the promises made by President Ruto will remain nothing but empty words to the security sector. The time for change is now.                           

The writer is the National Organising Secretary Kenya National Private Security Workers Union

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