Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang'i, has disclosed that Deputy President, William Ruto, has 257 officers deployed to guard him, his family and properties, a number higher than all of his predecessors.
Matiang'i, who was appearing before the National Assembly Committee on National Security on Wednesday, September 1, laid out a document which highlighted the number of security officers attached to all Vice Presidents since independence, comparing it to the current deployment of security officers guarding DP Ruto.
The CS highlighted that Kenya's first Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, had a total of 30 officers, Joseph Murumbi (22), Daniel Moi (34), Mwai Kibaki (26), Josephat Karanja (22), George Saitoti (30), Musalia Mudavadi (22), Michael Wamalwa (22), Moody Awori (22), and Kalonzo Musyoka (26).
He added that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Raila Odinga, had a total of 57 officers while serving as the Prime Minister in the Grand Coalition government.
On the other hand, the current Deputy President has 257 officers. 74 officers are drawn from the elite Presidential Escort Unit, 5 General Service Unit officers and 6 DCI officers. They are mandated to provide a 24-hour protection to the DP.
Another 121 officers from the Administration Police Service and Prison department are mandated to provide a 24-hour mobile patrol within the DP’s residences.
The third layer is an auxiliary security layer that keeps an eye on Ruto's properties.
“Contrary to the allegations made and in view of the tabled evidence, H.E. the Deputy President is the most guarded in the history of the country in comparison with previous equivalent office holders,” Matiang'i stated.
The revelation caused an uproar among some MPs who lamented that the number of police officers in their constituencies was lower than that of the DPs security detail.
"Mr Chair, where I come from in my constituency, in the last census there were 204,000 people and the number of officers in the area is not more than 70 or 80 in the constituency," highlighted Junet Mohammed.
"One police officer is guarding about 3,300 people and the night is worse, and we are here discussing 257 security officers guarding one person."
Last week, some GSU officers were withdrawn from the DP's premises, with his allies terming the withdrawal as malicious and vindictive.
The Interior CS, however, dismissed the withdrawal claims stating that it was just a general re-organisation of the outermost security layer and that the DP's security had not been compromised.
