Ruto Reappoints Former Nyeri Police Commander Adiel Nyange to Chair Private Security Regulatory Authority Board

President William Ruto has reappointed Adiel Nyange as the chairperson of the board of the Private Security Regulatory Authority.

Through a gazette notice dated Friday, February 7, Ruto informed of the reappointment of Nyange, the former Nyeri County Police Commander, who will serve for three years.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 11(1)(a) of the Private Security Regulation Act, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, re-appoint Adiel Nyange to be the Chairperson of the Private Security Regulatory Authority, for a period of three (3) years, with effect from the 7th February, 2025,” the notice read.

Nyange’s recent commissioning is a reappointment, as he had served as chair of the PSRA board, albeit for a limited period after the revocation of the appointment of former chair Stephen Ng’ang’a.

He is set to steer the reins of PSRA, which has recently caught public attention over a previously proposed directive that gives greater powers to security guards.

Regulations proposed and adopted by PSRA will see private security guards seconded to guard state installations armed to protect critical infrastructure and free the burden on police officers.

Through PSRA, the official government agency that oversees the regulation of private security firms in Kenya, arming security guards would ensure that they would be well-equipped to handle high-risk assignments.

Such high-risk assignments include public spaces characterised by high human traffic, shopping malls, cash in transit, maritime security, critical infrastructure, government institutions, and institutions identified with elevated vulnerabilities and security risks.

The proposals were housed under the Private Security Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2024, with the law providing for the controlled issuance, ownership, and operational use of firearms by private security officers (security guards) assigned to high-risk tasks and critical infrastructure.

Another item on Nyange’s agenda would be to curb the menace of non-compliance by private security firms regarding paying guards the minimum wage of Ksh30,000.

Back in June 2024, former PSRA boss Fazul Mahamed issued a seven-day ultimatum to private security firms directing them to enforce the minimum wage requirement. Failure to adhere to this law would lead to the revocation of the firms’ licenses.

However, months later, the Private Security Guards Union (PSGU) wrote to Ruto and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, urging them to intervene and ensure compliance with the Ksh30,000 minimum wage for security guards. 

In their message to the two senior government officials, PSGU Secretary General Isaac Andabwa revealed that most security guards across the country were suffering at the hands of private security firms, which they accused of collecting millions of shillings from clients but paying them little.

Nyange is expected to tap into his experience in law enforcement to ensure that the operations of PSRA are well streamlined.