Gov’t Orders Mandatory Training, Licensing And Vetting Of Bouncers

Nairobi Kenya January 9 – All private security personnel, including bouncers, bodyguards, event stewards, crowd control security personnel will have to undergo a mandatory security vetting, the government has announced.

The CEO of the Private Security Regulatory Authority, Fazul Mahamed said that the nationwide security vetting will also include training and licensing of all.

According to a gazette notice dated January 8 2024, Mahamed, said no person shall be allowed to engage in the provision of private security services unless he or she has been security vetted, registered and licensed.

“In view of the foregoing, the government has commenced the mandatory nationwide security vetting, training and licensing of all bouncers, bodyguards, event stewards, door supervisors, event security, VIP protection, close protection and crowd control security personnel,” Mahamed said.

He said that the Authority has organized a sensitization forum at the Sarova Stanley Hotel on Wednesday, January 10 2024 at 8:30am. “The forum is free of charge, however for ease of planning you are required to confirm your attendance through our email.”

The announcement comes just days after journalists from several media houses were injured after being assaulted during a raid by the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) at Kettle House Bar and Grill in Nairobi on Friday night.

Journalists and police officers were attacked by the security team at the club as they tried to gain entry into the club to arrest the revelers who were smoking Shisha.

During the raid, 30 shisha bongs and 21 persons including the club manager were arrested at the club located along Muthangari drive in Kilimani.

After the assault, anti-drug and alcohol abuse agency and Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) reacted angrily to violence leading to the injury of four journalists.

In separate statements, NACADA and Kenya Union of Journalists urged police to apprehend all the suspects involved and arraign them in court.

“In an unfortunate and unprecedented turn of events, the security team at the club resorted to violence and in the process seriously injured journalists and police officers conducting the operation. This led to the hospitalisation of some of the victims while some journalists had their equipment confiscated and destroyed. We wish all those who sustained injuries a quick recovery even as we pursue all avenues to bring the perpetrators to book.” Dr Mairori said in a statement.

Among those injured in the scuffle was Nation Media photographer Boniface Bogita, who was stabbed twice in the ribs. Jane Kibira, a Kenya Broadcasting Corporation journalist was also stabbed in the back. Standard Media Group photographer Boniface Okendo and videographer Francis Odee were beaten and their cameras confiscated.

Police officers later took control of the situation and arrested the bouncers, who had fled, changed clothes and hid in the toilets of the bar to avoid arrest. A knife suspected to have been used in the stabbings was also recovered.

Police officers Joseph Ruto, Joel Nyaga and Mr Boniface Mutisya were also assaulted during the scuffle.

Kenya implemented a comprehensive ban on shisha, including advertising, promotion, distribution and encouraging or facilitating its use in 2017.

“Any person who contravenes any provision of these regulations may, where a penalty is not expressly provided for in any provision of the Act, be liable to the penalty provided for in section 163 of the Act,” the government said when announcing the ban on December 27, 2017.