NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 27 – Northern Kenya leaders have condemned Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s ‘reckless remarks’ undermining the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
The leaders indicated that the DP’s sentiments demean the presidency and are now demanding that he resigns or face impeachment.
Led by Dadaab Member of Parliament Farah Maalim, they alleged that the Deputy President is attacking Haji after he foiled his attempts to destabilise the country using the anti-finance bill demonstrations.
“Gen Z protests only turned violent due to criminal infiltrators organized and financed by Gachagua and associates, potentially destabilizing the government that he serves,” Maalim stated.
“Is the Deputy President upset because Noordin Haji’s intelligence prevented his scheme to overturn President Ruto’s government?”
The Dadaab MP described Gachagua’s attacks on Haji as an open sabotage of President Ruto.
“We therefore call on him to resign immediately. Failure to do so will compel us as members of the parliament to pursue impeachment proceedings against him,” h stated.
The lawmakers scoffed at the second in command for discussing intelligence matters surrounding NIS on press briefings in public arena instead taking his concerns before the National Security Committee (NSC).
Mandera East MP Bashir Abdullahi defended the NIS Director General saying the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024 by the President was informed by domestic intelligence from his office.
Subsequently,they claimed the government was well informed on chaotic scenes that would erupt during the anti-Finance Bill demonstrations disputing that the security agencies were caught off guard.
“The Deputy President’s attempt to undermine the office of the Director General NIS appears to stem from his exposure in intelligence gathered implicating him as a financier and planner of the criminal elements,” Abdullahi said.
Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo said it was unfortunate that the Deputy President made such reckless when the country was at a brink of chaos.
“This is a very difficult time, when we need each other, what happened yesterday has never happened in this country.I remember Governor Orengo saying government will eat its children i think that is what is happening,” she said.
On Wednesday, Gachagua demanded the resignation of National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General accusing him of failing to adequately advise President 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.
Source: capitalfm
