Regulator cracks down on illegal security firms

The Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) has intensified a nationwide crackdown on illegal security companies, shutting down 27 unlicensed firms amid growing concern over the proliferation of rogue operators.

Speaking before the Senate Security Committee on Thursday, PSRA Chief Executive Officer Philip Leakey Okello warned that unregulated firms are undermining professionalism and posing potential security risks.

“Many mushrooming security firms are operating illegally. We have launched a crackdown and closed 27 so far,” Okello told the committee chaired by Fatuma Dullo.

Dullo said only foreign companies with local shareholding and firms entirely owned by Kenyans are eligible for licensing by the authority.

The PSRA regulates and licenses private security firms and personnel, ensuring adherence to professional and ethical standards. Kenya currently has over 100,000 registered private security officers, all vetted, trained, and issued identification numbers before deployment.

Okello also raised concerns over non-payment of security services by county governments, accusing them of failing to honour contractual obligations, while noting that the national government has improved its payment record, reducing delays by 67 percent.

He urged Parliament to fast-track approval of operational regulations under the Private Security Regulation Act, citing that the delay has limited the authority’s ability to generate its own revenue. Currently, the PSRA relies entirely on funding from the National Treasury, though Okello said once regulations are in place, the authority could generate between Sh800 million and Sh1.2 billion annually through levies.

The PSRA’s mandate includes regulating, supervising, and controlling the private security industry through registration of service providers, licensing personnel, enforcing training standards, compliance with labour laws, vetting security officers, and facilitating collaboration with state security agencies.

The ongoing crackdown and funding challenges highlight the broader struggle to streamline Kenya’s fast-growing private security sector, which plays a critical role in supplementing national security efforts.