Nairobi — The fatal arrow attack that claimed the life of a police officer outside State House, Nairobi, has reignited debate over the adequacy of Kenya’s security architecture at critical government installations.
Security expert and former General Service Unit (GSU) officer George Musamali says the incident — in which Police Constable Ramadhan Mattanka was struck by an arrow near State House Gate D — should serve as a national wake-up call.
While the assailant was quickly subdued by other officers, Musamali believes the breach exposed deeper structural weaknesses, including slow response, poor situational awareness, and an overreliance on outdated manual systems.
“If I look closely, I don’t think this was a major threat to State House depending on how the person was armed,” Musamali said.
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“My only misgiving is that the reaction was slow — and the suspect should have been detected much earlier.”
Musamali drew parallels to similar security scares at the White House in Washington and Buckingham Palace in London, noting that even in advanced security environments, such incidents occasionally occur — but are typically followed by transparent reviews and procedural upgrades.
“This is not an isolated incident. The real question is what Kenya can do to prevent such lapses. We need to merge technology and human oversight to build layered, anticipatory security,” he said.
Surveillance tech
According to Musamali, the incident underscores the need to integrate surveillance technologies such as drones, CCTV networks, facial recognition, and automated access control systems with continuous foot patrols and real-time intelligence feeds.
“That area should be patrolled 24/7. If someone doesn’t look like they belong, they should be stopped and interrogated immediately,” he said, adding that modern systems should flag unusual movement or behaviour long before a physical breach occurs.
He also faulted the continued reliance on manual visitor logs at one of Kenya’s most secure premises.
“If you go to State House right now, they are still using manual books to record vehicles and people entering. We have technology that can automate this and provide live monitoring — that’s where we must go,” he added.
Musamali warned that the problem extends beyond the presidential residence.
“Forget State House for a moment. How often do you meet police patrolling our neighborhoods? These gaps exist across the country,” he observed.
He attributed the recurring lapses to a combination of resource limitations, training gaps, and weak integration between intelligence and frontline policing.
Balancing opacity and accountability
Experts have long argued that security around State House must balance opacity with accountability, safeguarding the President and the institution while maintaining public trust and institutional credibility.
In countries like the United States, for instance, the Secret Service regularly releases post-incident summaries and procedural adjustments following White House intrusions — a practice that bolsters public confidence.
Kenya’s State House, by contrast, has remained publicly silent since Monday’s incident, issuing no formal statement beyond the National Police Service (NPS) report confirming the officer’s death.
Musamali’s proposed solution involves what he calls “layered security,” blending visible deterrence such as guards, barriers, and patrols with invisible intelligence through sensors, data analytics, and drone surveillance.
“A person with negative intent is always two minutes ahead — they come prepared,” he warned.
“We must combine the human eye with technology and proactive patrols to stay ahead.”
Constable Ramadhan Mattanka, stationed at the elite GSU State House Camp, was struck by an arrow on Monday morning at around 8.10am along Dennis Pritt Road.
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The 56-year-old assailant, armed with a bow and arrows, allegedly advanced toward officers and ignored orders to surrender. He was subdued and arrested after firing the fatal shot.
Mattanka succumbed to his injuries at Kenyatta National Hospital while receiving treatment.
The National Police Service has since opened investigations into the motive behind the attack and expressed condolences to the officer’s family.
The incident has reopened broader questions about the state of physical and technological security integration at top government facilities.
Analysts say Kenya’s current reliance on human surveillance is untenable in the face of increasingly unconventional threats — from lone-wolf attacks to drone incursions and cyber-enabled sabotage.
“Kenya must move from reactive to predictive security,” Musamali noted, “and that means investing in intelligence-led policing, sensor networks, and officer retraining.”
