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For most people, choosing where to sit in a car is a matter of comfort. But for principals under close protection, seating arrangements are far more than just preference, they’re a calculated safety decision that could mean the difference between life and death.
Security experts warn that ignoring seating protocols in close protection operations undermines command, control, and the ability to shield a principal during a high-risk incident, particularly during ambushes or hostile surveillance.
According to a comprehensive protection manual by UK-based Aartic Training Group, an award-winning security training company, VIPS should ideally sit behind the front passenger seat.
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This position offers maximum cover and allows the Personal Protection Officer (PPO) seated in front to react swiftly in case of an emergency. It's a setup designed for "command and control" during sudden threats.
“When travelling in a vehicle, it is important that the Principal sit directly behind the PPO. This is for command and control of the Principal during an incident,” the document states.
Why This Position Matters
In a right-hand drive vehicle, standard in Kenya, sitting behind the front passenger ensures the VIP is shielded from oncoming traffic or gunfire that could come from the driver's side, as evidenced in numerous international ambush case studies.
This seating also provides the PPO a clear line of sight and easy physical access to protect, extract, or shield the principal if attacked.
During emergency evacuation from the car, the PPO can quickly exit, open the VIP’s door, and usher them into safety, all within a matter of seconds.
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Seating in the rear also provides more room for the VIP to crouch down and avoid being in the line of fire.
Yet in reality, some principals disregard this advice, opting to drive themselves or sit wherever they feel most comfortable.
In Kenya, many VIP have been seen to prefer sitting in the front alongside the driver.
Others retain personal drivers with no formal security training, who may be unprepared for evasive manoeuvres or risk management in a high-stakes environment.
“Some principals may insist on driving themselves, and this is more common than you might think,” the guide notes.
“While this is not the best situation, you may well have to run with it and compromise.”
The Deadly Cost of Complacency
History has proven the fatal consequences of ignoring basic protection protocols. The most glaring example: the tragic death of Nyeri Governor Wahome Gakuru, where a guard rail tore through his body after the driver lost control of the car.
The two occupants who were seated in the back managed to survive the accident with serious injuries.
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A lone gunman on Wednesday attacked Kasipul MP Charles Were at the roundabout near City Mortuary in Nairobi. He was sitting at the front passenger seat when the attacker struck.
In close protection, every detail matters, from vehicle type, route planning, and emergency extraction drills, to something as deceptively simple as where the VIP sits.
The document also warns against open windows in armoured cars, stating:
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Even a window open one inch would render all that armour useless when the muzzle of a weapon is pushed through it… killing everyone twice.
The Role of the Bodyguard
When seated correctly, the bodyguard in front can anticipate, shield, and even physically cover the principal in a worst-case scenario.
For VIPs and their teams, close protection is a science. Every move is scripted, rehearsed, and reinforced for one goal: survival. Seating arrangements are a frontline tactic, not a footnote.
So the next time a principal chooses to "sit wherever," they may unknowingly be exposing themselves to serious, even fatal, risk.