NAIROBI, Kenya– Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has demanded the resignation of National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General Noordin Haji, accusing him of failing to adequately advise President William Ruto on the Finance Bill 2024, leading to widespread chaos and loss of life.
Gachagua criticized Haji for mishandling intelligence that could have prevented the nationwide unrest on Tuesday, which resulted in over 20 deaths, 300 injuries, and the arrest of more than 50 people. He 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 stated.
The Deputy President also claimed that NIS was targeting Members of Parliament (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.
Gachagua argued that this incompetence had exposed the President to potential risks and hindered effective governance.
“Had the National Intelligence Service briefed the President two months ago about how Kenyans feel about the Finance Bill 2024, many lives and properties could have been saved,” he asserted.
He emphasized that Haji must take responsibility for the deaths and resign from his position, allowing the President to appoint a competent successor.
“He must take responsibility for failing the Kenyan nation by not doing his job and advising correctly. He must do the honorable thing and resign from that office,” Gachagua urged.
The Deputy President also called on President Ruto to reinstate the dismissed directors and assistant directors to rebuild the NIS’s capacity.
“President William Ruto deserves better. He deserves a director general who knows what he is doing and a National Intelligence Service that is effective,” he said.
Gachagua pleaded with the youth to call off their planned protests on Thursday, assuring them that the President is committed to addressing their grievances.
“Please, I beseech you as your father, my sons and daughters, make an announcement and call off the protest,” he urged.
Despite Gachagua’s plea, the youth have vowed to proceed with their planned protests, signaling ongoing unrest over the Finance Bill and related issues.
Following the chaos, the military was deployed to assist police in restoring order, with reports of extensive shooting in several city estates, including Juja and Githurai. Similar chaos occurred in major towns such as Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, and Nyeri, where police engaged demonstrators in day-long battles. Businesses, including those belonging to leaders who supported the Bill, were vandalized, looted, or set ablaze.
President Ruto responded to the calls of Kenyans by withdrawing the Finance Bill 2024, stating that it will be shelved to allow for dialogue and a collective approach to financing the current budget. This historic step, the first of its kind since independence, implies that the Sh 3.9 trillion budget will be managed using the current Finance Act, along with external and internal borrowing to address the budget deficit.
“Listening keenly to the people of Kenya, who have said loudly that they want nothing to do with this Finance Bill 2024, I concede and therefore I will not sign the 2024 Finance Bill, and it shall subsequently be withdrawn,” President Ruto stated.
In his address to the nation, President Ruto promised to engage in dialogue with the young generation on the way forward for the country, acknowledging that the bill’s withdrawal will impact public debt, which his administration aimed to control.
“Because we have gotten rid of the Finance Bill 2024, we must have a conversation on how to manage the affairs of the country and the debt situation together. I will propose an engagement with the young people and listen to our sons and daughters,” he said.
The protests, which began last week, reached a climax on Tuesday when demonstrators stormed Parliament following the bill’s passage. The violent scenes resulted in several deaths and injuries, prompting widespread condemnation and calls for restraint from both local and international leaders including former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition Leader Raila Odinga who called for consultations.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concerns about the violence in Kenya and urged restraint. “He is saddened by the reports of deaths and injuries, including those of journalists and medical personnel,” a statement from his office said.
Guterres emphasized the importance of upholding the right to peaceful demonstrations. “The Secretary-General urges the Kenyan authorities to exercise restraint and calls for all demonstrations to remain peaceful,” the statement added.
Source: Capital FM
