Special forces have wide array of arms to ensure security

American security forces take no chances when it comes to protecting their VVIPs.

When Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Nairobi on Sunday afternoon, he did so under the watchful eye of US Secret Service agents who took over the security arrangements at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and all the areas the diplomat later visited.

Details of his security arrangements remained closely guarded with Kenyan security agencies playing an important albeit peripheral role during the 43 hours Mr Kerry was in the country.

Prior to his arrival, an advance team, with the help of US Marines, toured all the buildings he was scheduled to visit and organised the security their way.

The team focused on the airport, the August 7 Memorial Park and the routes Mr Kerry was to follow around the city. At the Intercontinental Hotel, they refurbished two floors in advance and no visitors were allowed there.

There were restrictions on sharing of sensitive information. The US agents limited access of the details to the smallest possible number of Kenyan security officers, employing what is popularly known as ‘need to know’ restrictions.

Even as Mr Kerry arrived, it was not clear which car he would be driven in. There was slight confusion when he walked to and attempted to enter an armoured Cadillac before he was intercepted by Secret Service agents who then directed him to a BMW.

Though many Kenyan police officers, some of them unarmed, were deployed for the general control of crowd and traffic, the US agents worked more closely with the officers from the General Service Unit’s Recce Unit to secure JKIA. There were at least two US agents in all the police cars that were in Mr Kerry’s convoy from the airport.

All the officers from both units were heavily armed and were allowed to rest after a period of time since they were involved in operations that require the highest level of attention. Other officers were on standby to reinforce their colleagues in case of any emergency.

The US agents were equipped with almost every weapon they would need in case of an attack or emergency. Key among them were custom made assault rifles fitted with numerous accessories, including telescopic sights, grenade launchers, night vision devices and laser pointers. Some of the rifles had the capacity to fire 700 to 950 rounds per minute with an effective range of between 500 to 600 metres.

Their specially made sun glasses not only covered their eyes but gave the officers a tactical advantage of hiding their feelings and not letting the public know where their attention was directed, allowing them to shift their gazes.

Some of the officers were also armed with bayonets just in case they found themselves in close combat. A bayonet effectively turns a rifle into a spear and is usually regarded as a weapon of last resort.

Many of the officers also wore bullet-proof vests and carried discreet radios to facilitate their communication.