Kenya: Private Sector and Government Coordinate on National Security

Terrorist groups like al-Shabaab, ethnic violence, petty criminals, and corruption threaten Kenya’s security. The East African country has relied heavily on an unregulated and partially corrupt private sector to maintain stability. The industry employs more than 400,000 men and women who act as guards for homes, compounds, malls, airports, and the like. Kenya’s police forces, on the other hand, employ only 80,000 people.  

Because of this, the government depends on private security firms for both resources and intelligence. Phil Figgins, an advisor to the British military’s Peace Support Team in East Africa, notes that the industry has evolved from a purely gate-guarding sector to an intelligence-collection and sharing one.