The Paradise Hotel attack in 2002, Westgate siege in 2013, Garissa university attack in 2015 and the

latest Dusit D2 attack early this year were all a revelation of the vulnerabilities of private establishments
in Kenya. This is despite them being protected or manned by private security providers. Private security
providers have come to be known for their unprofessionalism (bullying, harassment etc.), corruption
and corruption, which have shed the whole sector in bad light. Some of the guards are associated with
some crimes, acting as accomplices or outright reluctance in their work (“Spiderman” in Kilimani, deaths
from bouncers’ beating of patrons in clubs).

Is there hope for the industry? Can their image be restored? These and other concerns led to the
enactment of The Private Security Regulation Act, 2016 which acts as the regulator for the private
security sector. It’s a new dawn for the sector as it provides for registration, licensing the conduct and
remuneration of the guards.