Kirwa Maiyo: The quiet man behind presidential security

Experts in the VIP security ring have described Maiyo as a calm, veteran police officer.

Noah Kirwa Maiyo is a veteran police officer and VIP protection specialist whose career has been defined by decades of service in Kenya’s elite security formations and close protection of senior state officials. 

Until Sunday, May 24, 2026, Maiyo served as Commandant of the Presidential Escort Unit (PEU), one of the country’s most sensitive security assignments.

Widely regarded as one of President William Ruto’s most trusted security aides, Maiyo spent more than a decade in the President’s inner security circle, overseeing protection operations during Ruto’s tenure as Deputy President and later as Head of State.

Maiyo’s policing career spans over 30 years, much of it spent in specialized tactical and protection units within the Kenya Police Service.

He previously served in the General Service Unit (GSU) before joining the elite Recce Squad, the police unit tasked with counter-terror operations and high-risk response missions.

His experience in the Recce Squad exposed him to advanced presidential security protocols, tactical response operations and VIP protection in hostile environments, skills that later defined his rise through the ranks of Kenya’s security establishment.

Maiyo’s association with President Ruto dates back to Ruto’s time as Deputy President. 

For nearly a decade, he served as Head of Operations in Ruto’s security detail, coordinating security arrangements for public engagements, political rallies, foreign travel and daily presidential movements.

When Ruto assumed office in August 2022, Maiyo retained a central role in the President’s security architecture, serving as Head of Operations within the Presidential Escort Unit for two years. 

In that capacity, he coordinated teams drawn from elite police formations responsible for securing the President and other senior government officials.

In July 2024, Maiyo was elevated to Commandant of the Presidential Escort Unit, replacing William Yiampoy. His appointment, communicated through an internal police memo, saw him assume the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police.

As Commandant, Maiyo oversaw the protection of the President, the First Family, the Deputy President, retired presidents and visiting heads of state. 

The PEU, established under Section 24 of the National Police Service Act, 2011, remains one of the country’s most critical security units due to its role in safeguarding national leadership.

Security insiders described Maiyo as a seasoned operative with extensive knowledge of state security planning and presidential movement coordination. 

On Sunday, May 25, the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja announced that Maiyo had been transferred from the PEU with immediate effect following a reported security breach during President Ruto’s event in Ganze, Kilifi County. 

Maiyo has now been reassigned to the Vigilance Department at Kenya Police Headquarters and replaced by William Sawe, who previously headed the Recce Sub Unit.