State, private sector forge partnership to strengthen events security

Interior PS Raymond Omollo/X

The government has joined hands with the private sector to enhance the security and safety of key events across Kenya.

The move is aimed at protecting participants, boosting investor confidence, and supporting the growth of the country’s events and conference tourism.

The partnership was announced following a high-level meeting between the Ministry of Interior and the Coordination of National Government and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) at Harambee House.

During the meeting, Internal Security and National Administration Principal Secretary, Raymond Omollo, and KEPSA’s Security Board Chairperson, Annette Kimitei, emphasised the importance of well-coordinated security for conferences, sporting events, concerts, political gatherings, and community celebrations.

They noted that events play a crucial role in the economy, creating jobs, attracting international visitors, and supporting thousands of businesses nationwide.

“Tourism and events are a vital part of the economy. From international sporting tournaments and concerts to political gatherings, conferences, and community celebrations, events create jobs, attract visitors, and support thousands of businesses,” they said.

“The new initiative will involve government agencies, private security providers, event managers, sports organisations, and industry associations to ensure events are safe, well-coordinated, and professionally managed.”

The discussions brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from the Events Managers Association of Kenya (EMAK) and the Bouncers Association of Kenya, who engaged with the Principal Secretary to explore collaborative approaches to improving the management of event security.

Following the discussions, both teams issued a joint statement announcing a partnership that will formalise security planning and operations for major events.

Under the new initiative, a multi-stakeholder working group will be established under the leadership of the Interior Ministry to develop a national event safety and security framework.

The framework will set minimum safety standards for various types of events and provide practical guidelines for organisers, security firms, venue operators, and public authorities.

Key areas of focus will include crowd management, ticketing procedures, medical preparedness, fire safety, counter-terrorism coordination, and post-event reporting.

Stakeholders noted that security has often been treated as an afterthought in event planning, a gap the new framework seeks to close.

Large-scale gatherings will now require formal risk assessments before approval, and organisers will be expected to demonstrate coordination with the police, ambulance services, and fire departments.

This approach is intended to prevent incidents and ensure a swift response to emergencies.

The State-KEPSA partnership will also prioritise training for security officers, medical teams, and event staff to enhance emergency response capabilities.

Investment in technology and infrastructure, addressing counterfeit tickets, managing public health risks, and strengthening cybersecurity and data protection are other areas of planned collaboration.