Three private security firms have lodged an appealed to the Ministry of Interior and National Administration over cancellation of their licenses by the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PRSA).
The appeal by Bedrock Security Services Limited, Bedrock Security Alarm Systems and Products Limited, and Superb Skills Solutions Limited through their lawyer, Litoro and Omwebu Advocates now bars PRSA from taking any action in the matter until Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki makes a decision within 30 days.
The three are among nine private security companies whose licenses were cancelled by the authority on February 5, 2024 in a process they say was conducted without prior warning or valid reasons.
The cancellation of operating licenses held by the nine firms follow follows court battles and protests from industry associations that disagreed with a previous PRSA notice calling for a minimum wage of Ksh. 30,000 per guard.
The three firms have further written to PRSA on the appeal which will now require the Interior CS to appoint a three-man Adhoc team to advise on the dispute, before making a determination within 30 days.
“A copy of the said Appeal is hereby enclosed for your records and accordingly, you are hereby served. Please note that Section 43 (5) of the Private Security Regulation Act, 2016 provides that “where an appeal is lodged under this section, the Authority shall not take any action until the appeal has been heard and determined,” the firms stated in a letter addressed to PRSA through their law firm.
On Tuesday, the Professional Security and Safety Association of Kenya (PROSAK) and Protective Security Industry Association (PSIA) warned that the sudden cancellation of the licenses had put at risk at least 20,000 jobs.
The new wage requirement would also result to guarding costs rising to Ksh 45,000 per day guard and Ksh 55,000 per night guard due to overtime, taxes and operational expenses. This would also mean clients would pay at least Ksh 100,000 per guarding station in a day.
