Western Regional Commissioner Allan Machari has directed politicians and organisers of political meetings and rallies to stop using civilians as security personnel, saying the region has sufficient police officers to secure such events.
Speaking in Busia town after meeting security officials and National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) from across the county, Machari said the government was engaging political leaders to ensure police officers handle security at all political gatherings.
“We are engaging our political leaders to ensure that we don’t use civilians to cover political gatherings. Moving forward, all political gatherings will be covered by police, and no politician or any person holding a meeting will need to organise private security. What is required is to inform the police in advance, and they will provide the security,” he said.
Machari said security agencies in Busia would continue strengthening measures to maintain peace and order as political activities intensify ahead of the campaign period.
“Our security team has worked tirelessly and managed to curb insecurity cases that have been experienced in Busia county recently. We are beefing up our efforts to ensure that we have an environment free from insecurity so that people can continue with their activities,” he said.
He assured residents that security agencies were prepared to respond to emerging threats, adding that adequate resources were available for deployment whenever necessary.
“The region is prepared to deal with any emerging insecurity situation because we have enough resources that can be deployed in case of need across the region,” he said.
The commissioner also called on residents to cooperate with security agencies and government administrators by providing information that could help prevent and tackle insecurity.
“We are banking much on the citizens of this region to work closely with the administration and police by sharing information. This will help us deal with cases of insecurity and goonism more effectively and maintain law and order within the region,” he said.
Machari said the meeting was also intended to assess existing security structures and formulate additional measures for improving security management across the county.
“We were looking at how our structures have been working to maintain peace and security and come up with new strategies that will help us manage security in a better way. We have insisted on taking responsibility, with every committee responsible for planning and executing security matters within its area of jurisdiction under the guidance of the higher committee,” he said.
What Kenyan Law Says About Civilian Security Personnel
Kenyan law does not generally bar politicians from being accompanied by civilian or private security personnel during rallies and other political gatherings. However, private security providers remain subject to the Constitution and other applicable laws.
Section 50 of the Private Security Regulation Act, 2016, provides that private security providers, guards and officers do not have the powers of police officers or members of disciplined services.
Section 6 of the Public Order Act, Cap. 56, also prohibits people attending public meetings or processions from possessing offensive weapons without lawful authority. The provision is particularly significant where civilian security personnel are armed.
Article 244 of the Constitution sets out the mandate of the National Police Service, including maintaining professionalism, protecting human rights and respecting human dignity. Private security personnel therefore cannot assume functions reserved for the police.
Politicians can consequently engage legitimate private security personnel, but such guards cannot operate as a parallel police force. Individuals involved in assaults, unlawful arrests, intimidation or possession of offensive weapons may face criminal liability.
