The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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KK Security Limited is preparing to lay off around 1,000 employees across all levels in Kenya due to ongoing economic challenges.
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In an internal memo to staff, Kenya Kazi Services Limited and Kenya Kazi Limited highlighted factors such as rising operational costs, recent changes in legislation, and increased minimum wage requirements as primary reasons for the redundancy process.
“Due to difficult economic conditions, loss of business from various clients, and operational needs, the company has decided to initiate a redundancy/restructuring process, resulting in job terminations due to redundancy,” the memo explained.
The process, which began at the end of January 2025, will unfold in phases and is expected to be completed by May 2025 in order to minimize disruption for the business and affected employees.
Kenya’s security services sector is highly competitive, with 799 registered companies, including industry leaders like G4S, Wells Fargo Limited, BM Security, and Total Security Surveillance Limited.
KK Security, operating under GardaWorld Limited, has been under financial strain, with experts suggesting that rising costs could negatively impact its credit rating.
These planned layoffs follow the recent approval by the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) for KK Security’s acquisition by its CEO, Stephan Cretier, making him the sole owner of the company.
Cretier, who also serves as CEO of GardaWorld, is expected to use the acquisition to attract new investors and reposition the company for growth.
The CAK confirmed that the acquisition would not significantly affect the competition in the security industry, stating that the change would shift the ownership from joint to sole control.
During a town hall on January 24, employees were informed about the redundancy process and were encouraged to express any concerns.
The company assured it would continue consultations and explore other options to reduce the impact of the layoffs.
“Every effort will be made to ensure a smooth transition and compliance with redundancy laws,” the memo stated.
Despite these reassurances, the impending job cuts are raising concerns about the future of the affected workers, especially in an already difficult job market.
The redundancy process will comply with Section 40 of the Employment Act 2007 and the relevant Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
