VIP guards ill-trained and misused by their bosses; Kibaki’s advisor say

NYERI: Almost all bodyguards on VIP protection are not trained and most are doing briefs they are not supposed to handle, a former national security adviser has warned.

Essau Kioni who advised former President Mwai Kibaki blamed VIPs seeking the services of armed police guard of not taking the service seriously. He spoke in wake of Saturday morning fatal shooting of Kikuyu MP George Muchai, his two bodyguards and a driver in a Nairobi city street.

"Most VIPs are misusing the guards and treating them as their personal assistants and that's after failing to make the right selection in the first place," said Kioni.

He said after the government caved in to pressure to provide legislators and other high ranking government officers with armed police guards, the service has been abused by the beneficiaries selecting relations, village mates and friends to serve them.

"Few of those officers have been to the VIP Protection training centre at Magadi and few really know what their job all is about," said Kioni.

He claimed that the bodyguards have been reduced to the role of sentries who carry handbags and open car doors for their charges while paying little attention to security demands.

"Any starter bodyguard knows that he should always exit the car ahead and not to open the car door for the boss but scan the area for any risks before taking a strategic position," said former adviser.

He said it was advisable that bodyguards must always walk at distance to give them a better view of their subject and to make it harder them to be both targets in one blow.

"Then they must stand at a distance where they can observe their subject comfortably enabling them to quickly neutralize any threats.

Kioni said it was intriguing how the masked gunman chopped down the four including the two police officers without any resistance.