Kenyan Private Security Guards to Get Guns in Six Months

The government has approved a proposal to have Kenyan private security guards issued with licenses to carry firearms. 

The Private Security Regulatory Authority says the guards will be allowed to carry guns in six months' time after undergoing fresh training and vetting. 

The authority's CEO Fazul Mahamud says the Ministry of Interior and other national security organs have approved the proposal.

"Those to be armed are in government and public installations and those in cash in transit. We are preparing for a thorough vetting of employers and guards to ensure its success," Fazul says.

Mohamed says employers must first ensure that their staffs get a mandatory insurance cover before they are given firearms.

"Security guards, especially in malls, form the first line of defense against terrorists and other criminal elements. If we trust them with such establishment why not trust them with firearms?"

"We have been complementing the national government on security matters and we are happy that we have recognized for that contribution. We request that the process of setting up an academy for training purposes be expedited," says Mohamed.

The move to arm private guards comes in the wake of the DusitD2 complex terrorist attack in Nairobi's Westlands area, where 21 people were killed and several others left with injuries.