Employers must pay security guards at least Sh30,000, court rules after dismissing petition
The Sh30,000 wage comprises a basic salary of Sh18,994, a house allowance of Sh2,849.11, and an overtime allowance of Sh8,156.81.
Private security guards across Kenya will now receive a minimum monthly salary of Sh30,000 after the High Court dismissed a petition opposing the directive.
The ruling upholds a legal notice issued by the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA), which set the minimum pay for security guards employed by private firms.
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The decision comes after a petition challenging the implementation of the wage increase was dismissed, clearing the way for its enforcement.
Former PSRA Director-General Fazul Mahammed had issued the legal notice in November 2023, mandating that all private security firms pay guards a minimum salary of Sh30,000 before statutory deductions. However, John Kipkorir, representing the Private Security Industry Association (PSIA), filed a petition contesting the directive.
Kipkorir argued that the decision was made without public participation, violating Articles 10 and 118 of the Constitution of Kenya. He further contended that setting and enforcing minimum wages fell under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Labour, not the PSRA.
Despite the claims, Justice Mathews Nderi Nduma of the Employment and Labour Relations Court dismissed the petition, ruling that it lacked merit and had been abandoned by the petitioner.
“In the final analysis, the petition was abandoned by the petitioner and is struck out by the court and in any event the same lacked merit and stood to be dismissed, which the court proceeds to do,” Justice Nderi ruled.
Following the ruling, the PSRA has directed private security employers to comply with the new wage regulations. The authority warned that failure to pay guards the mandated minimum salary would result in a penalty of Sh2 million.
PSRA had initially set the minimum wage in November 2024, but the Association of North Rift Security Firms challenged the directive at the Eldoret High Court.
Justice Wananda Anuro had temporarily halted its implementation on December 1, 2024. However, on January 16, 2025, Justice Anuro ruled that the petition dated November 30, 2023, and the accompanying application were settled, officially closing the case.
According to PSRA guidelines, the Sh30,000 wage comprises a basic salary of Sh18,994, a house allowance of Sh2,849.11, and an overtime allowance of Sh8,156.81.
Statutory deductions include Sh1,080 for the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Sh825 for the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), Sh1,229.75 in Pay As You Earn (PAYE), and Sh450 for the Affordable Housing Levy.
Previously, in 2022, the Ministry of Labour had set the minimum wage for private night guards at Sh16,959 in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru. Security guards working in former municipalities were to receive Sh15,722, while those in other regions were entitled to Sh9,672 per month.
The PSRA has also embarked on a nationwide registration, licensing, and issuance of guard force numbers (GFN) for private security officers.
The initiative includes private security guards, corporate security officers, and individuals providing private security services within government institutions or agencies.
The government is also working on fully integrating the private security sector into the national security framework to enhance security operations across the country.
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