MOMBASA, Kenya – Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has made explosive allegations that the National Intelligence Service boss Noordin Haji had orchestrated a plot to blame him and former President Uhuru Kenyatta for the violence that erupted during Tuesday’s anti-finance bill protests.
Speaking at a press conference in Mombasa on Wednesday evening, Gachagua accused Haji of attempting to fabricate a narrative linking the unrest to specific political leaders, including himself and the former president.
“Yesterday, he was trying to assemble a team to concoct lies and propaganda, attributing the chaos in the country to leaders like former President Uhuru Kenyatta and me,” Gachagua stated.
Gachagua emphasized that the protests were a direct result of widespread public discontent with the Finance Bill 2024.
He also revealed that some Members of Parliament who voted against the bill were being targeted for harassment due to their political stance.
“I urge the National Intelligence Service not to drag us back to the dark days of the Nyayo era, where propaganda and schemes were used to undermine leaders and dissenting voices,” he said.
Gachagua further called for the resignation of the NIS Director, accusing him of incompetence and failing to properly advise President William Ruto on the Finance Bill issue over the past two months.
“The National Intelligence Service slept on the job,” Gachagua declared. “Noordin Haji, once a junior officer in the NIS, purged senior personnel upon his appointment, crippling the agency’s capacity and functionality.”
Gachagua detailed that three directors were reassigned to desk jobs in various ministries, and thirteen assistant directors with proven track records in intelligence collection and analysis were removed from the NIS, leaving the organization ineffective under Haji’s leadership.
The Deputy President urged President Ruto to dismiss Haji and reinstate the ousted directors and assistant directors to restore the NIS’s operational effectiveness.
“President William Ruto deserves a competent Director General and an effective National Intelligence Service that can analyze situations accurately and keep the government informed,” Gachagua asserted.
“It is embarrassing that it took protests, deaths, and destruction for the President to understand the public’s sentiment, a reality that should have been communicated by the NIS months ago.”
