Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called for the immediate resignation of National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General Noordin Haji, blaming critical intelligence failures for the recent violent protests that have roiled the East African nation.
In a wide-ranging press conference on Wednesday, Gachagua delivered a scathing critique of the country’s intelligence apparatus and its leadership.
The deputy president’s unprecedented public rebuke comes in the aftermath of nationwide demonstrations against the controversial Finance Bill 2024, which have resulted in multiple fatalities, numerous injuries, and extensive property damage. President William Ruto has since withdrawn the bill, acknowledging its lack of public support.
“Had the National Intelligence Service briefed the president two months ago about how the people of Kenya feel about the Finance Bill 2024, so many Kenyans would not have died,” Gachagua stated emphatically. “Property would not have been destroyed. Offices would not have been touched. There would have been no mayhem.”
Gachagua directed his harshest criticism at NIS Director General Noordin Haji, accusing him of gross incompetence and calling for his immediate resignation.
“Noordin Haji must take responsibility for the deaths that occurred. He must take responsibility for failing President William Ruto, for failing the government of the Republic of Kenya, for failing the Kenyan nation,” the deputy president declared.
The deputy president went further, alleging that Haji’s leadership had severely undermined the NIS’s capabilities. “When he was appointed to the office of the director general, because of inferiority complex, he chased away all the people who were senior to him when he was in the service, therefore crippling the capacity of that service and making it dysfunctional,” Mr Gachagua claimed.
Gachagua revealed that senior police officers had confided in him about the lack of intelligence briefings regarding the protests. “Senior officers have told me in confidence, they did not have an advanced intelligence brief about the intensity of the protest so that they prepare in advance,” he said.
The speech also raised alarm about the potential misuse of security agencies for political purposes. Gachagua warned against using the criminal justice system to manage politics, referencing a promise made by the administration upon taking office. He cited the alleged abduction of Attorney General Justin Muturi’s son by NIS officers as an example of security agency overreach.
“I am informed that members of parliament who voted no have already been targeted by the national intelligence service for harassment for their political stand,” Gachagua revealed, urging a return to conventional political management through dialogue and consensus.
In an attempt to de-escalate tensions, Mr Gachagua appealed directly to the country’s youth, particularly “Generation Z,” to call off planned protests following the withdrawal of the finance bill. “Please, my sons and daughters, I plead with you. To save lives, to save bloodshed, to save loss of property and lives… please make an announcement this evening and call off the protest,” he implored.
