Kenya's security stable despite street protests — experts

The country's security and stability is solid despite the wave of youth-led protests, experts have said.

Gathered for a two-day conference to analyse security in Sub Saharan Africa, the experts said in the long term, the country’s security fundamentals were stable and well managed.

This was an assurance of the survivability of the nation, in the face of running battles as police worked to contain protesters in major towns across the country.

The conference is powered by American Society for Industrial Security and brings together professionals from both the public and private sector.

Cy Oatridge, the president of Asis International, said the country remains a dependable anchor state for the region.

Kenya's security architecture makes it resilient in managing various threats, he added. 

“Yes, there are threats that Kenya is facing, most of them due to the neighbourhoods it is in. But the professionalism of the security apparatus in the country remains admirable and this is a crucial factor for its survivability,” Oatridge said.

According to the World Bank, security in the Sub Saharan region remains shaky, characterised by violent crime, terror extremism and social unrest stoked by harsh economic outcomes.

The assurance comes amid multiple security advisories given by foreign embassies in Nairobi, urging their expatriates in Kenya to be watchful and take precaution as protests continue. 

Brigadier (rtd) Ahmed Mohamed, a senior representative of the security lobby in the region, said police handled the street protests well, which was an indicator of the stable security situation.

“At the start of the protests, there were concerns that security agencies were not up to the game but lately, it is well managed and the professionalism is outstanding,” he said.

Asked about public concerns over police excesses in trying to quell the demos, including reported night attacks in residential areas such as were seen in Zimmerman and Githurai, Mohammed had nothing but praise for the officers. 

“What the police is doing is excellent. The coordination between the security agencies in dealing with the challenges posed by the Gen Z protests is professional.”

The conference also delves on the place of Artificial Intelligence in the security system, asserting that technology has become indispensable in preempting and responding to security developments.

Experts say AI and technology are the main frontier of complex security challenges as more young people master the emerging digital assets, hence there is need for security minds to be steps ahead.

Tobias See, chairman of Asis Nairobi chapter, said the mobilisation and management of the Gen Z protests have shown that technology, AI and the internet have become a central element in security arrangements.

“These young people have used the internet and technology phenomenally and this somehow threw our security forces off-balance a little bit at the start. But the security apparatus has since caught up quick and they seem to have a handle on the demos,” See said.

Kenya's public sector is represented by officials from spy agency NIS, police, military officials and the witness protection agency. 

On Thursday, agency boss Jedidah Waruhiu will take the floor with a presentation on good practices in witness protection in the security architecture and criminal justice system.