Fazul digs in on guards remittances to Cotu

PSRA director general Fazul Mahamed. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) has ordered some private security firms to submit information regarding the remittance of guards' trade union fees to the Central Organisation Trade Union (Cotu).

The firms are required to submit to the authority a schedule of all private security officers' trade union fees and remittances to Cotu in the last 36 months accompanied by all financial correspondences between the firms and the union on the same.

Despite security firms collecting union fees of guards and remitting them to Cotu, the authority accuses the union of not advocating for the guards' rights, promoting general welfare and advocating for minimum wage.

"In compliance with Section 45 (1) (b) of the Private Security Regulations Act No.13 of 2016, the authority, with the aim of protecting the welfare of 1.3 million private security guards, has instituted a forensic audit and is currently investigating the collection and use of finances that have been deducted from private security officers and remitted to Cotu by private security companies over the last three years," said PSRA director general Fazul Mahamed in the directive to the security firms.

Some of the firms include G4S Kenya Limited, Wells Fargo Limited, SGA Security Services Limited, Riley Falcon Security and Radar Security Limited.

Last week, Fazul ordered all security firms to stop deducting and remitting guards' union fees to Cotu until the authority conducts investigations into how the money is used.

"Pending conclusion of the investigation, all security companies are hereby directed to, effective immediately, stop deducting and remitting private security officers' trade union fees to the Central Organisation of Trade Unions," he said.