For the new Presidential Escort Unit, William Kiptoo Sawe, he walks to familiar territory.
He is a hardened commando who has risen through the ranks in the General Service Unit to the new position.
Sawe was named the new commandant of PEU Sunday, May 24, 2026, following the security breach that disrupted President William Ruto’s public event in Kilifi County on Sunday.
In the changes announced by Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service Eliud Lagat, Sawe was moved from the Recce Company where he was the commander to take over as Commandant of the Presidential Escort Unit (PEU), replacing Noah Kirwa Maiyo.
Maiyo was recalled to Kenya Police Headquarters and deployed to the Vigilance House in the latest shake-up touching key officers in the presidential security team.
The changes came hours after security agencies launched investigations into the breach during a thanksgiving event in Ganze, Kilifi County, where Ruto was addressing members of the public.
The reshuffle also saw Deputy Commandant of the Presidential Escort Unit Juda Mathews Gwiyo directed to proceed on leave pending retirement.
He was a deputy to Maiyo at the time of the incident.
Other changes announced include the appointment of George Kirera as Deputy Commandant PEU from his previous role as Staffing Officer Personnel PEU, while Josphat Sirma was promoted from Deputy Commander Recce Sub Unit to Commanding Officer of the elite Recce Unit.
Rere Kipkoech was also transferred from Deputy SOB1 to Kenya Police Headquarters Vigilance House.
The changes are seen as part of efforts to tighten presidential security following the Kilifi incident, which authorities described as a serious security breach.
Sawe had, before being named as the commander of Recce in 2025 served as the head of operations at the General Service Unit headquarters.
He was trained as a GSU officer before he was moved to the Recce Unit which is an elite group that is supposed to address some of the most complicated scenes.
He had also trained under PEU. Under both PEU and Recce, the personnel there undergo rigorous training that hardens them.
This also turns them to a team with dedication to protect their subjects- the president and his family.
Although security officers managed to swiftly contain the situation and restore order in Kilifi, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said any compromise involving the President’s security was unacceptable.
A man shot from a crowd while armed with a Bible and grabbed Ruto in a dramatic incident captured on camera.
It was the latest such breach to occur under Maiyo’s leadership.
On February 12, Ruto was in Wajir for the disbursement of Nyota funds, startup capital, when a similar incident occurred.
The young man came from the right side of the podium, approaching from Ruto’s blind side as the Head of State addressed the crowd.
However, Ruto’s security team sprang into action, tackling the man before reaching the most protected man in the country.
Six days earlier, on February 6, while in Mombasa, an unidentified man ran onto the podium while the President was speaking, but Ruto intervened and urged his security detail to let the man speak.
In May 2025, the head of state narrowly escaped a shoe aimed at his head, blocking it with his arm while addressing a rally in Migori County.
Following the Migori incident, Ruto’s security detail was reportedly revamped and enhanced.
A few rallies that followed saw the Presidential Escort Unit (PEU) enforcing strict crowd and VIP control measures, including restraining people from getting too close to the president.
There have been complaints from the unit members of interference in their work and poor working morale. They were ignored.
Kanja announced the formation of a special investigations team to conduct a comprehensive probe into how the breach happened.
He said the immediate restructuring of the President’s security detail was aimed at strengthening operational protocols and sealing any existing vulnerabilities.
“The security of the Head of State is a matter of national security and will be treated with the utmost seriousness,” Kanja said.
He also warned members of the public attending presidential events to strictly follow security procedures, adding that any attempts to breach security arrangements would be dealt with firmly under the law.
The National Police Service maintained that it remains committed to protecting the country’s leadership and ensuring similar incidents do not recur.
The Presidential Escort Unit is a fully-fledged team that can handle the movement of the President and his family anytime.
They, however, usually get the help of the local police whenever the President visits.
Together with his family, the President has about 200 security guards from the GSU.
As part of security measures, they don’t allow armed police officers, especially those with rifles, at the events, apart from their members.
Whenever the President moves, the local police commander has to ensure the movement is guarded. If he stops to address a gathering, tens of local officers are deployed.
The President enjoys some of the best police officers’ services as they are drawn from various units and trained on a common agenda.
Other than police officers, officials from the National Intelligence Service also provide crucial services to the President.
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