NAIROBI, Kenya — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi arrived at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) for the Africa Forward Summit 2026 aboard a heavily armoured Mercedes-Maybach S600 Guard, triggering widespread discussion online over the luxury vehicle’s high-level security features.
Videos circulating on social media showed the Egyptian president remaining inside the black armoured limousine as it rolled through the cabro-paved entrance of KICC under heavy escort from close protection officers.
The convoy quickly became one of the most talked-about arrivals at the summit, which brought together more than 30 African heads of state and over 1,500 business leaders in Nairobi.
The vehicle seen carrying El-Sisi appeared to be the specialised W222 S600 Guard variant, a factory-built armoured limousine designed to withstand high-level ballistic threats while maintaining the appearance of a standard luxury sedan.
Unlike the extended Pullman Guard version commonly reserved for ceremonial duties, the S600 Guard retains a conventional wheelbase profile while integrating military-grade protection directly into the body structure.
According to automotive reviews published by Car and Driver, the model is engineered to withstand sustained automatic rifle fire, including attacks involving 7.62×51 mm rounds.
The limousine features reinforced steel armour beneath exterior panels, with additional ballistic protection around vulnerable sections such as the doors, firewall, roof frame, and rear bulkhead.
Its windows use thick multi-layered ballistic glass combined with a polycarbonate inner coating to prevent dangerous splintering during attacks.
“The windows, several times thicker than the stock double-pane glass, are so heavy that each needs its own hydraulic lift to open and close,” automotive journalist Clifford Atiyeh wrote in a review of the model.
Security systems also include overlap armour around door seams, reinforced flooring against explosive devices and grenade blasts, as well as a self-contained emergency oxygen supply system capable of sealing the cabin during chemical attacks.
Under the hood, the vehicle is powered by a twin-turbocharged V12 engine producing about 530 horsepower, enabling the heavily armoured limousine to maintain high-speed mobility despite its additional weight.
The Maybach also uses reinforced air suspension, upgraded braking systems, and run-flat tyres capable of travelling for more than 28 kilometres after a complete loss of tyre pressure.
Back at KICC, El-Sisi’s security detail generated significant debate among Kenyans on X, formerly Twitter, with several users linking Egypt’s extensive presidential protection protocols to the 1995 assassination attempt against former President Hosni Mubarak in Ethiopia.
One user remarked that Egypt has remained deeply cautious about presidential security since the Addis Ababa attack, arguing that Cairo does not leave the safety of its head of state to chance.
Presidents William Samoei Ruto and Emmanuel Macron co-hosted the Africa Forward Summit, with discussions centred on trade, technology, green industrialisation, and Africa-France economic partnerships.
Other leaders who attended the summit include Julius Maada Bio, Alassane Ouattara, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, among others.
