Bro Isaac Andabwa threatens to withdraw Guards, if any risk to their wellbeing is noted while on duty.

KNPSWU the umbrella body for private security workers Union Secretary General Bro Isaac Andabwa wants the Government to compel employers to give guards protective gear against coronavirus arguing that they are the first to come into contact with visitors to premises.

Kenya National Private Security Workers’ Union (KNPSWU) has appealed to the Ministry of Interior through Cs Dr Matiang’i to issue circulars compelling employers of security guards to protect them from contracting the virus by ensuring they have protective gear. Bro Andabwa said that the union fears for their members who are screening visitors at entry and exit points of private and public facilities.

“It is sad to note that this security guards are being exposed without requisite measures such as provision of protective devices/gears and training for self-protection, in some instances our members even lack sanitizers and face masks thus exposing them to the risks while on duty” said Andabwa.

A section of guards we spoke to complained that since the confirmation of the first case, their work had doubled. Mr Rodgers Omondi a guard at Yaya center complained that the task of screening, sanitizing and measuring body tempertures of all those walking in at the mall was daunting and challenging at the same time.

“I am a trained security personel not a medic so some of the task i perform are new to me” said Omondi.

Bro Andabwa has said that the union will closely monitor how guards are handling the situation and will not hesitate to withdraw them if any risk to their wellbeing is noted while on duty. Andabwa added that the Union has over 500,000 staffs where among them are those who cannot afford sanitizers and gloves.

He proposed the need to have emergency contacts line at the County level so that the information flows. “We should be vigilant and responsible during the 14 days that the Government says it is conducting Monitoring process,” said Andabwa. He said that the Union is in support of President Kenyatta’s directive issued on March 15, 2020 to ban entry of travelers from corona-virus-hit countries and closure of schools and the ban on social gatherings. “As a union, we urge members of the publoc to fully comply with ministry of health directives to help curb the spread of covid 19 virus.