Safety and Security in Kenya

13 March 2018 RedR

Around the world, aid workers continue to face persistent levels of violence. According to the Aid Worker Security Report there were 158 major attacks against aid operations in 2016, in which 101 aid workers were killed, 98 wounded and 89 kidnapped.

Violence against aid workers effects not only humanitarian workers but can also prevent vital humanitarian aid reaching those most in need. RedR UK's 'Safety in Emergencies’ training course is designed for humanitarian staff working in hostile settings, helping to increase their personal security and the resilience of the projects that they deliver.

Ian Mwangi (right) is an assistant project officer for maternal and new-born health for The Centre for Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW) in Isiolo, Kenya where he has been working for the past three years. In 2017 Ian attended RedR’s ‘Personal Safety in Emergencies’ training course in Nairobi, funded by XL Caitlin and designed for humanitarian staff working in hostile settings. Ian explains why he decided to take part in the training:

"We have instances of insecurity where I work, there is quite a lot that goes on. I decided to go on the RedR course because the issue of insecurity was really affecting us. Before I applied for the training, one of our ambulances was attacked by bandits, so it actually increased the urgency for me to do that training and come and share it with members of staff."

Through classroom sessions and an intense day-long simulation exercise, RedR’s security training aims to help participants identify and mitigate threats in their operating environment - keeping them safe, and ensuring they can continue their life-saving work. Ian shares his experience of the training:

"I liked the practical nature of the training. It’s not all about theories that you learn in the classroom; there was a balance between having theory on the first few days and then actually going and practicing it in the field. The course place on a military instillation and was led by someone from the military, so that for me was quite different. We took part in training exercises including kidnapping, carjacking and dealing with landmines and that was really good because it helped me to join the dots between the theory and the practical."

Trainees take part in a security simulation exercise as part of RedR UK's Safety in Emergencies training.

Security in Kenya

The security situation in Kenya remains volatile; the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) reported 2 fatalities and 31 security incidents including direct fire, robbery and kidnapping in 2017. Ian explains how the knowledge and skills he gained through RedR training have helped to improve his personal and organisation security in this context:

"Before the training course we never used to do security checks, with regards to maybe calling ahead and finding the situation on the ground. But now before we even leave the office we check if it’s safe to use a particular route, whether it is safe to hold an activity at a certain location. Previously we used to leave the office at 6pm then go to the field and arrive quite late. But now, given the security awareness we have and being more aware we actually plan our timings much, much better.

Through the training I learned about survival packs, a bag of essentials that you can quickly grab in an instance of insecurity. It has water, a bit of medicine, torch – things that you really need when you need to flee from an area really fast and you really can’t pack up. Now I always carry a survival pack with me.

We also got really in touch with the security mechanisms, especially the police and the country commissioner to highlight on issues of security as well."

Ian is currently working on CREAW’s Health and Governance programme, which is on-track to reach 27,000 women of reproductive age, from 12 – 49 years old, in isolated, rural communities throughout Kenya. He explains how RedR training has made a vital difference in increasing not only his own security, but that of the beneficiaries of the CREAW programme:

"I learned that communication is really important around issues of security and I think that’s something that we have improved on between us and the beneficiaries, we are now in constant communication with them. Because of this communication we are able to get updates that maybe even the local security mechanisms are unware of. I can also pass on my security knowledge to them, so if they want to have a meeting at a particular time or place they can make informed decisions about how to stay safe. All of this has made it much easier to work together with our beneficiaries."

After doing the training I feel more prepared. I wouldn’t say safe because security is really not that guaranteed here; anything can happen at any time. But I think I’m more prepared to deal with incidents of insecurity than I was before. And actually, that is better than feeling safer because security isn’t really something that I can control, so being prepared for any eventuality I think that makes me better than I was before."

Ian Mwangi

RedR UK Trainee

The RedR Ripple Effect

Through the ‘RedR Ripple’ effect, trainees often share knowledge and skills from the training courses with their colleagues and go on to champion organisational change; dramatically increasing the impact of our work. Ian shares the effect of RedR training on his organisation:

"I realised that as an organisation we need to have clear-cut policies with regards to safety and security of staff – especially in remote areas like where I work. I’ve been working closely with HR to put together a security policy for staff, because we do not have that at the moment. I’m also planning to run a security training session with my staff, highlighting what they should do in volatile areas.

The RedR training went way beyond my expectations. As part of the training I was able to meet people that work in more volatile areas than we do and we shared information and made new contacts, which was great. Someone that hasn’t gone for the training should definitely do it – it really opens your eyes.

After doing the training I feel more prepared. I wouldn’t say safe because security is really not that guaranteed here; anything can happen at any time. But I think I’m more prepared to deal with incidents of insecurity than I was before. And actually, that is better than feeling safer because security isn’t really something that I can control, so being prepared for any eventuality I think that makes me better than I was before."