NAIROBI, Kenya- The National Police Service (NPS) has constituted a special investigations team following Sunday’s dramatic security breach involving President William Ruto during a public event in Ganze, Kilifi County.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja announced the move hours after a man broke through security and rushed towards the President while he addressed residents during a thanksgiving ceremony for Youth Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs.
The incident, which was captured on video and widely circulated online, briefly caused panic after the man managed to climb onto the main dais and make contact with President Ruto before members of the Presidential Escort Unit swiftly intervened.
In footage from the event, the man, who was carrying a Bible, is heard asking the President, “Can I hold you?” before briefly placing his arm around him, triggering an immediate response from security officers.
Despite the scare, President William Ruto appeared calm and even urged his security team not to rough up the man.
“Leave that young man alone. He doesn’t have a problem,” the President told security officers as they escorted the individual away.
However, the breach has triggered alarm within security circles, prompting immediate action from the country’s top police leadership.
“As the Inspector General of the National Police Service, I have immediately constituted a special investigations team to conduct a swift, thorough, and uncompromising inquiry into how this breach occurred,” Kanja said in a statement.
The police boss further confirmed that immediate changes had been ordered within the President’s security detail to strengthen operational protocols and seal any vulnerabilities exposed by the Kilifi incident.
“Any breach involving the security of the President is unacceptable and a matter of the gravest national concern,” Kanja added.
Sunday’s incident has once again renewed debate about presidential security during highly interactive public rallies, where President Ruto frequently walks into crowds and engages closely with supporters.
The Kilifi breach is the latest in a series of security scares involving the Head of State. Earlier this year, another man breached security during a public event in Wajir County and rushed towards the presidential podium before being restrained by officers.
The National Police Service warned members of the public attending presidential events to strictly observe security procedures, saying any future attempts to breach security arrangements would attract the full force of the law.
