Implications of Arming Private Security Guards on National Security Management in East Africa- a Comparison Between Kenya and Uganda

Abstract

This study investigates the implications of arming private security guards on national security management in East Africa. This comes at a time when Kenya and East Africa at large are facing various security challenges, and the Kenyan government has passed laws allowing the arming of private security guards. The arming of private security guards is a significant security move that will no doubt impact the management of security in Kenya. This provides an affluent area of study in terms of the management of security and, in particular, the fight against terrorism. Arming guards is a massive shift from the traditional baton-bearing; hence this process is made impulsively even in an ideal situation. The purpose of this study was to provide an insight into how arming private security guards will impact national security. As per the objectives, the study investigated the concept of private security guards in Kenya and Uganda, the implications of arming private security guards to national security, and the mechanisms that can be used to curb negative effects that might arise from arming private security guards. The move to arm private security guards in Kenya has implications on the national security management in Kenya. Arming private security will have security impacts, legal impacts, economic as well as social impacts. The implications of arming private security in Kenya are both positive and negative. Security implications include the proliferation of arms, misuse of arms, and gun-related crimes. Measure to curb these negative impacts is that the private security guards ought to be well remunerated. There is also the need to choose people of certain codes of conduct to safeguard against misuse of the weapons issued to them.