A contract is not just a formality — it is your only protection once you are 5,000 kilometres from home. Here are the warning signs most veterans overlook in their excitement to secure a placement.Every year, Kenyan security professionals sign contracts they have not read, with clauses they do not understand, with companies they have not verified. The consequences range from months of unpaid wages to deaths in environments that were described as “low threat” in the recruitment call. Here are the nine warning signs you must look for before you put pen to paper.
The Red Flags
- No registered legal entity: If the company has no verifiable registration in a recognised jurisdiction, you have no legal recourse if things go wrong.
- Vague threat assessment language: Phrases like “minimal security environment” or “transitional zone” should trigger immediate questions. Demand specifics.
- Insurance details absent or deferred: Any contract that does not specify your death and disability payout amounts before signing is incomplete. Walk away.
- Rotation terms described verbally only: If your 90/28 rotation is not written in the contract, it does not legally exist.
- No repatriation clause: Who pays to fly your body home if you are killed? If the contract is silent, your family pays.
- Withheld equipment list: You should know exactly what kit you will operate with before you deploy. “You’ll get what’s available in country” is not acceptable.
- No escalation or complaint mechanism: You need a clear chain of command for disputes, welfare issues, and emergency escalation.
- Payment in local or unstable currency: Always negotiate payment in USD, GBP, or EUR into a personal account you control.
- Requests to sign blank annexes: Never sign a document with blank sections. These can be filled in later with terms you never agreed to.
A contract that cannot withstand your scrutiny before deployment will not protect you after deployment. Read it. Question it. Have it reviewed.
