When Protection Pays Poverty: The Plight of Kenyan Security Guards
Kenya’s Security Guards. Source: KenyanWallStreet
Guardians of Wealth, Living in Poverty
Almost a million private security guards in Kenya shoulder the responsibility of protecting critical infrastructure, corporate buildings, homes, and government installations. Yet they earn wages that many describe as exploitative. While firms charge clients between KSh 40,000 and 100,000 per guard monthly, the guards themselves often receive as little as KSh 6,000–15,000, a discrepancy that reflects deep structural injustice within the sector.
Despite the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) setting a minimum wage of KSh 30,000 in 2023, most firms fail to honour it, blaming delayed client payments. The result: guards who make indispensable contributions to public safety remain trapped in poverty and precarity.
Courage Without Compensation
Working long hours often 12-hour shifts or overnight rotas, seven days a week, guards endure hazardous conditions without pay for overtime, leave, or basic protective equipment. One tragic case involved Fred Wanyonyi Wanjala, shot dead during duty at Stima Plaza. His union, the Kenya National Private Security Workers Union (KNPSWU), which advocates for the rights and welfare of Kenya’s growing private security workforce, condemned the incident as emblematic of the sector’s unsafe working conditions. KNPSWU, a key voice for thousands of guards employed by private firms across the country, demanded that his employer immediately settle terminal dues and insurance compensation.
Union leaders stress that such incidents are not isolated; they result from chronic neglect, lack of recognition, and the absence of basic labour protections in the private security industry.
Institutional Power Struggles
The PSRA, under its former Director-General Fazul Mahammed, issued the 2023 directive raising the minimum wage to KSh 30,000. The Upper Court upheld this verdict in February 2025 after legal challenges by the Private Security Industry Association (PSIA) were dismissed. This ruling paved the way for formal pay reform, at least on paper but enforcement has remained weak.
Meanwhile, employer associations such as PALSAK argue that companies cannot afford to comply without higher client fees. Courts may rule in favour of workers, but without systemic oversight, compliance remains voluntary and sporadic.
Union Action and Momentum for Justice
KNPSWU has become the primary voice of the sector, demanding enforcement, transparency, and dignity. Secretary General Isaac Andabwa has called for relentless industrial and legal action, threatening strikes, lawsuits, and national campaigns until justice is achieved. Under his leadership, the union issued a 21-day strike notice in June 2024 when minimum wage enforcement stalled.
Such bold moves are rare in Kenya’s fractured labour landscape. The broader Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), Kenya’s national trade union federation and the umbrella body for most registered trade unions has not meaningfully engaged with security guards' issues, leaving KNPSWU isolated in its struggle.
Despite COTU’s historical role in shaping labour policy and representing workers at national tripartite forums, its limited advocacy for low-wage, precarious sectors like private security has drawn criticism. Union organisers argue that the current model profanes freedom of association and collective bargaining, institutionalising exploitation in a so-called “protected” sector.
Comparative Context Across Africa
Kenya’s plight is not unique:
In Uganda and Tanzania, private security guards are similarly underpaid, under-protected, and often lack formal contracts or labour protections.
In South Africa, security guards earn higher base wages but still struggle with prolonged hours, weak workplace rights, and under-recognition of injuries at work.
Across West Africa, common practice sees guards hired on a daily basis without social security or housing support.
These stories reflect a shared pattern: an essential workforce treated as disposable across Africa rather than a professionalised labour group with rights.
Why It Matters: Security Is Public Safety
Underpaying security guards isn't just a labour issue, it has national security implications. Wages below the cost of living contribute to low morale, absenteeism, and vulnerability to corruption. A guard who cannot afford rent, healthcare, or decent nutrition is ill-placed to protect others.
Employer groups themselves have voiced concern. PALSAK warns that underpaid guards weaken security infrastructure and national resilience. The private security industry is estimated to have a turnover exceeding KSh 300 billion, yet it fails to translate this value into decent livelihoods for its workforce.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Fixing this crisis will demand collective action across institutions:
Enforce the minimum wage directive with regular audits, penalties for non-compliance, and clear public reporting of violations.
Protect unions’ role, enabling KNPSWU and similar bodies to freely organise, negotiate, and support members without employer interference.
Government oversight of contracts: clients especially public institutions must hold firms accountable for paying living wages and remitting statutory deductions.
Strengthen worker welfare systems, including mandatory medical insurance, grievance procedures, adequate rest, and safety training.
Public campaigns and media engagement to highlight labour abuses and mobilise public support for reform.
Without these interventions, the promise of decent work remains a distant dream for a sector that promises safety, but delivers poverty.
Conclusion: Dignity Costs Little for Others
Security guards stand between the public and chaos. They work in dangerous environments, often alone, with minimal compensation and no pathway to stability. Their struggle is a profound injustice, one that reflects wider structural failures in labour governance.
Their fight is not just for better wages. It is for respect, recognition, and reform. Kenya’s private security guards are demanding that their lives not just their labour matter.
References
Eastleigh Voice. (n.d.). Private security guards demand government action over abuse, neglect by employers.Link
Nzomo, B. (2024, June 12). Private Security Regulator to Enforce KSh 30,000 Minimum Wage. Kenyan Wall Street. Retrieved from Link