Kenyan President Ruto Shakes Up Security Team After Dramatic Breach At Public Event

Kenyan President William Ruto has ordered an overhaul of his security team after a man breached the presidential security cordon and gained access to him at the dais during a public thanksgiving event in Ganze, Kilifi County.

The incident, which unfolded on Saturday while the president was addressing residents and political supporters, triggered a major security review by Kenya’s National Police Service (NPS). Videos circulating online showed the unidentified man bypassing security officers before briefly grabbing the president on stage, causing panic among officials and attendees.

Security operatives quickly intervened and restored order, while the president continued with the event moments later.

In a statement issued after the incident, Kenya’s Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja Kirocho, described the breach as “a matter of the gravest national concern.”

“The National Police Service wishes to address a serious security breach that occurred today, 24 May 2026, during a thanksgiving event in Ganze, Kilifi County, where His Excellency Dr. William Samoei Ruto was addressing members of the public,” the statement read.

Kanja confirmed that immediate changes had been made to the president’s protection unit.

“I have also ordered immediate changes to the security detail responsible for the President’s protection in order to strengthen protocols and seal any existing vulnerabilities,” he stated.

The police chief further disclosed that a special investigations team had been constituted to conduct what he described as a “swift, thorough and uncompromising inquiry” into the circumstances surrounding the breach.

“The security of the Head of State is a matter of national security and will be treated with the utmost seriousness,” Kanja added.

While authorities have not publicly identified the suspect or disclosed whether arrests have been made, the NPS warned that anyone attempting to violate security protocols at presidential events would face “the full force of the law.”