From time to time, excited Kenyans break protocol in an attempt to get an audience with President Uhuru Kenyatta, the latest incident being that of a man who tried to halt his motorcade in Lucky Summer on Wednesday, May 26.
Often, what is captured on camera is the invader being pulled away by the Presidential Security Escort Unit, with little disclosed on what happens later.
Kenyans.co.ke spoke to a VIP bodyguard who explained that in such cases, the suspect is usually pulled aside and interrogated to establish whether they are a security threat or not.
If he is innocent, he is let go. However, if he is not, action is taken.
Afterwards, the commander in charge of the security team briefs the officers and comes up with solutions to ensure that such incidences are not replicated.
The unit is trained to keep presidents, deputy presidents, first families, and even presidential candidates safe.
They are always on the lookout for any suspicious behaviour everywhere they go.
"The roads, stops and visits are often planned, and to secure the locations, an advanced team is often sent ahead. Sometimes the VIPs decide to stop or go somewhere on the fly, and you have to think on the fly as well,” a former agent told Kenyans.co.ke.
In a motorcade, there contains the inner, centre and outer circles. Those in the inner circle guard the president's vehicle. They are always aware of who is taking a ride with the Head of State as well as which vehicle is close to him.
On the other hand, the center team is always on the know of the two vehicles that sandwich the inner vehicle while the outer circles clear the way in general.
In case of an obstruction or a breach of security, the outer circles always deal with the invaders.
"In some cases, Kenyans want an audience with the VIP to relay their problems and ask for help. Hence, the bodyguards sometimes promise to get the message to them," the insider stated.
The Head of State's security is quite important and millions are set aside to ensure that his security detail has the right weapons and are also well trained.
Other than the Lucky Summer incident, the president's security team also had to deal with a man who approached the dais in Lamu as he was addressing the area residents.
He was astounded by the man prompting him to say; "Pole sana kila mtu na mambo yake."
Yet again, in March, there was a security scare after a businessman breached protocol and drove into State House with him. The security team only realised that there was trouble after drove past the President’s official car.
