Kenya’s police chief on Tuesday admitted that US President Barack Obama’s weekend visit was a security ‘nightmare’, but said the incident-free trip to Nairobi had proved a major confidence booster for the country.

"My nightmare was that someone might sneak in and do something nasty,” police Inspector General Joseph Boinnet said, referring to fears of attacks by Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shebab militants from across the border in Somalia.

"But thank God what we had put in place worked and we are determined to keep them away from our borders, keep them away from our cities and keep this country safe,” he added.

"We actually surprised ourselves,” Boinnet said, asserting that Kenyan security officials were able to keep up with the demands of the US Secret Service.

"Obviously, they are much more advanced than us in terms of resources, but in our own little way we do our level best,” he said.

"What we learnt is paying attention to the minutest detail.”

Kenya’s image as a regional hub has taken a battering in recent years due to political violence, rising crime and attacks by Somalia’s Shebab militants.