Ruto Issues 4 Directives to All Govt Agencies, Including Salary Increase for Private Security

President William Ruto has issued a series of directives targeting private security firms, including enforcing the Ksh30,000 minimum wage, ensuring full remittance of statutory deductions, scrapping outdated job titles and standardising training across the sector.

He instructed firms to fully remit all required statutory deductions, including contributions to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the Social Health Authority (SHA), warning that non-compliance will not be tolerated.

Speaking at State House, Nairobi on Thursday, August 6 during a meeting with private security officers, Ruto warned companies that have failed to implement the government-approved wage increase.

“On May 1 this year, I issued a directive on minimum wage to be increased by 15 per cent, but I have been told that many companies have refused to increase minimum wage by 15 per cent. Today I am warning them,” Ruto said.

He then criticised firms that continue to underpay guards, stressing that such practices violate the law.

“Others are even paying as little as Ksh6,000 and Ksh7,000. The law of Kenya says that it is inhumane for a person to pay below the minimum wage,” he added.

Ruto Orders End to ‘Watchman’ Title

At the same time, Ruto directed all government agencies to stop using the terms “watchman” and “guard,” describing them as outdated and rooted in colonial-era disrespect.

“I know that these terminologies are in the law and regulations, but I am instructing all government agencies to expunge references to all private security officers as watchmen and guards,” he said.

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He emphasised that all personnel in the sector must now be referred to as “private security officers” as the government moves to amend the law.

“We agreed that work is work, and yours is work. ‘Watchman’ was disrespectful and came from the colonial rule. You are no longer watchmen; you are private security officers. The laws will be changed,” he said.

Push for Standardised Training

Meanwhile, the President moved to reform training and professional standards within the industry.

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He directed training institutions, including the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), to work with the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) and relevant ministries to develop a harmonised training framework.

Through this plan, Ruto aims to ensure all private security officers receive uniform training regardless of their employer, improve service delivery, and raise professionalism across the sector.

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