Ruto's security on the spot after man walks onto stage during Coast rally

The sight of a man striding on the dais and grabbing President William Ruto’s shoulder yesterday in Ganze, Kilifi County, for the umpteenth time exposed serious lapses in the Head of State’s inner security detail.

Had the unidentified man been armed and intent on causing harm, the outcome would have been different, raising unanswered questions about why the security team failed to seal any loopholes that allowed the breach.

Ruto is the most guarded person, and such a security lapse cannot be taken for granted. It is not the first time security protocols have been breached at the President’s functions, begging the question whether those entrusted with his safety are taking their responsibilities seriously.

Following a series of similar incidents, the spotlight is now on Noah Maiyo, the head of presidential security, for failing to take vital lessons from previous lapses in Nairobi, Mombasa, Wajir, Migori and now Kilifi.

Maiyo was appointed in July 2024 as the new Commandant of the Presidential Escort Unit (PEU), replacing William Yiampoy, who was moved to police headquarters to head operations.

The senior officer, enlisted in 1988, had long served as PEU’s head of operations and was in charge of Ruto’s security detail when he served as Deputy President between 2013 and 2022.

Almost his entire career in the police has been spent in the PEU. He is said to have reached retirement age but was retained under a contract extension because he is a trusted ally of the President. Why he is still in office is a question only Ruto can answer.

“The security of the President is exposed. Those in charge must sit down and re-evaluate the protocols. Imagine what could have happened had that man been armed with a knife?” said Enock Makanga, a security analyst and former police officer who served in the presidential escort team.

According to Dr Makanga, due to the tight security cordon thrown around the President whenever he moves, the person who charged towards Dr Ruto should have been apprehended even before he stepped on the dias.

“VIP protection for a president is organised in multiple security layers or circles to reduce risks, respond quickly to threats, and ensure continuous safety. These layers work together as a coordinated defense system for the Head of State. But clearly what happened in Kilifi is a shameful drop in guard by his security detail,” he said.

The typical security arrangement around the President includes several layers: the outer layer, tasked with intelligence gathering, route security, crowd observation and traffic control; the middle layer, responsible for access control, screening points, armed support teams and surveillance; the inner layer, made up of close protection officers and bodyguards who surround the President directly; and the emergency support layer, which includes medical teams, evacuation units, tactical response teams and secure transport.

“The President’s VIP protection security layers are essential because they provide a structured defence system that prevents threats, controls access, enables rapid response and safeguards the President. The layered approach ensures that even if one security circle fails, additional layers continue protecting the President and maintaining national stability,” said Makanga.

Some security officers blame the President for making their work difficult. The Standard was informed that they have been quietly complaining that Ruto often demands that they relax protocols, especially when he is addressing crowds.

“Let’s not blame Maiyo; it is the President who is the problem. On many occasions, he has broken security protocols by directing officers not to be tough on crowds around him. But I shudder to imagine what could have happened had that man in Ganze been a suicide bomber,” said a source.

On May 4, 2025, while on a development tour, a shoe was thrown at Ruto during a rally, narrowly missing him. On February 6 this year, a man identified only as Jeremiah stumbled onto the podium in Mombasa while charging towards the President after breaking through the security ring during the disbursement of National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement funds.

Six days later, a man identified as Ahmed Mohamed charged at Ruto during a rally. He was intercepted by guards and interrogated, later claiming he was an MCA aspirant who only wanted to greet the President.

On April 28, 2026, a white object, believed to be a bottle, was thrown at Ruto during a development tour in Lang’ata’s Soweto informal settlement. His security team quickly shielded him, but the suspect was not immediately identified.

The latest security scare was witnessed in Ganze, where the man walked casually from the crowd to the dais and managed to tightly wrap an arm around Ruto’s shoulder.

Videos circulating online show the security team, caught off guard, tried to untangle him from the Head of State. The dramatic breach unfolded in Bamba during the thanksgiving ceremony for Youth Affairs Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs.

Ganze was among the areas that shot into infamy in 2012 as a hotbed of the criminal gang Mombasa Republican Council, which championed the secession of the Coast region from the rest of the country.

But the man was overheard saying that he had travelled from Nairobi to join the Head of State in Mnagoni village. It was not immediately clear what he wanted from the President, but he was carrying what appeared to be a Bible.

“Nisaidie, nimetoka Nairobi,” the man said as he wrestled with presidential security, trying to explain himself to Ruto.

In a brief but tense moment of confusion, the President was forced to cut short his speech and nearly lost his balance. He urged his security team to take it easy on the intruder, who had already been subdued by officers.

“Leave him alone. Wachana na huyo kijana,” he said.

The President sought to play down the incident, insisting it was nothing to worry about.

“That young man has no problem. I think he learnt from Fikirini Jacobs not to miss any opportunity. I will deal with him later,” he said.

The Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja  called the breach unacceptable and a matter of “gravest national concern”.

“I have immediately constituted a special investigations team to conduct a swift, thorough and uncompromising inquiry into how this breach occurred,” said Kanja in a press statement.

The IG further announced that he had made changes to the President’s security team “in order to strengthen protocols and seal any existing vulnerabilities”.