On 21 October 2022, a month after assuming the office of Kenya's Head of State, President William Ruto announced changes to his security detail, naming Oloonkishu Yiampoy, who was then Assistant Inspector General of Police as the new Presidential Escort Unit commandant.
Yiampoy took over from Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police Josphat Mputhia Kirimi, who was promoted to the National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Prior to his appointment as Presidential Escort Unit commandant, Yiampoy had served as the head of security at the office of the deputy president for ten years.
Having joined the police service in 1991, Yiampoy grew in rank as he gained extensive experience in VIP protection.
Yiampoy the Athlete
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While many know him as a distinguished officer, not many know that he is a former athlete who represented the country in the Olympic games and world athletic championships.
File image of Oloonkishu Yiampoy. [Photo: Courtesy]
He took part in the 2000 Sydney Olympics where he represented Kenya in the 800M race and finished fifth in the semi finals in a time of 1:45.88.
In 2001, he won Kenya's World Championships trials in 1:44.24 and won bronze in the Edmonton final after clocking 1:44.96.
Some of his other accolades include; Africa 800 metres champion (Brazzaville, 2004) and the winner of a bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
During his term on the tracks, he was known to be a disciplined and determined athlete, a trait that has seen him rise in the ranks at the police service.
Now as head of President Ruto's security team, he coordinates the president's security detail and ensures each officer is in the right place at all times, and assigns duties to officers under him.
Yiampoy made headlines on 24 February 2024 during the burial of the late World marathon record holder Kelvin Kiptum when he pulled aside an officer who was seemingly blocking the president's path.
