The plight of security guards

Its 2 am in the morning. You hoot at the gate of your estate. Like he had been anticipating you, the ‘watchie’ dutifully opens the gate for you. You’ve been out, enjoying the Christmas off your employer has begrudgingly granted you. But, he, the ‘watchie’ has forfeited Christmas back at home partly because he needs to be there to open the gate for you or he is very broke. The later seems more likely.

Recently the president put on notice private security companies for poorly paying the security guards. Over 4,000 of them, if my memory serves me right. Each and every mall, estate or institution has uniformed guards. You can see their frustration through their half-hearted security checks. Poor pay demoralizes them. They are not motivated to maintain security in the premises they’ve been tasked to man.

Indeed any small favour you ask of these security guards will always be translated to monetary equivalent. Just the other day I asked one of security guards at the workplace to watch over my bag. He accepted to but my return to fetch it, he asked for something small (that language of broke people). He claimed that I wouldn’t go for Christmas holiday and leave him empty-handed. He seemed genuine and I gave him 50 shillings.

The security companies should be aware that putting someone in charge of valuables, while not compensating well for their services is a security risk in itself. Some of them have made away with millions of shillings they were tasked to transport while some may even be acting in collusion with criminals to steal from wherever they’ve been tasked to guard or man.

 A local university around the CBD has seen no end to the theft of the institution's property. Offices have been broken into and laptops stolen. Television sets have disappeared numerous times in questionable circumstances. With security guards manning the institution 24 hours a day, it can only be conclusively pointed at them or their incompetence.

The meagre money that trickles down to them at the end of the month is less than what they deserve after their bosses have chopped off some. In addition to enduring less money, sometimes they are delayed. Some companies have been reported to confiscate their certificates.

For the safety of property and lives, private security companies must properly remunerate guards affiliated with them. Kenyans must not only feel safe but be safe.