The possibility of upward job mobility for security guards from Samburu community working in Nairobi

Abstract

This study investigated the possibility of upward job mobility for security guards from the Samburu community working in Nairobi. The issue that this study focused on, was the possibility of upward job mobility. In examining this issue, the study looked at the promotion at work and salary increment as indicators, which provided evidence for granting or non-granting employee rights. The study involved all security guards from the Samburu community working in Nairobi as the population of study and individual security guards as the unit of analysis. Five areas of the city, that is, Westlands/Kabete, Lavington/Kangemi/Waithaka/Muthaiga/Thika Road, Karen/Lang’ata, South C/South B and Embakasi, were marked out as the places from which the study sample was taken. The study adopted a survey design, and data was collected through questionnaires, which were applied to 200 security guards who had been randomly selected from 5 administrative clusters in Nairobi. In this study, frequency distribution tables were used to analyse the data. The results were presented in tables of numbers and percentages of the sample interviewed, as well as column charts. The findings indicated that security guards had minimal chances for job mobility due to a lack of on-job training. This study recommends that the trade union movement in Kenya should reach out to security guards to enrol them and register an organisation for them that can effectively pursue issues regarding their welfare at work.