Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has demanded the resignation of National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General Noordin Haji.
Gachagua on Wednesday June 26, 2024, accused the spy chief of failing to advise President William Ruto on the Finance Bill 2024, leading to widespread chaos and death.
The DP criticised Haji for mishandling intelligence that could have prevented the unrest that took place across the country on Tuesday.
The protests resulted in the death of at least 10 protestors, injuries and the arrest of more than 50 people.
Gachagua in his statement, alleged that Haji is now attempting to shift the blame onto former President Uhuru Kenyatta and himself.
“Yesterday, Noordin Haji was trying to assemble a team to craft lies and propaganda, attributing the chaos in the country to leaders like former President Uhuru Kenyatta and myself,” Gachagua said.
The DP said the violence witnessed on Tuesday during the Finance Bill demonstrations was unnecessary.
“How did we get here? We were elected as a very popular government where we stop listening to the people. President William Ruto and I were the darling of the people by listening to them,” he said.
Gachagua also claimed that NIS was targeting MPs who voted against the Finance Bill, harassing them for their political stance.
“I want to call on the National Intelligence Service not to take us back to the dark old days of the Nyayo era, where propaganda and schemes were used to undermine leaders and those you disagree with,” he said.
Gachagua accused Haji of incompetence and an inferiority complex, which he claimed led to the removal of senior personnel within NIS, crippling its capacity.
“The Director General, Noordin Haji, who was once a junior in the NIS, has chased away all senior personnel due to his inferiority complex, making the service dysfunctional,” Gachagua alleged.
He detailed that Haji had dismissed three directors and 13 assistant directors, reassigning them to desk jobs in various ministries.
“Three directors were reassigned to desk jobs, and 13 assistant directors with proven track records in intelligence collection and analysis were removed, leaving a shell of an organization under a clueless director general,” he said.