- Duale said that Haji has had a distinguished career in the intelligence service, from his early life.
- He said the NIS boss grew ranks to become deputy director before he left to work as the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
Image: FILE
Defence CS Aden Duale now says that Noordin Haji is the best National Intelligence Service (NIS) director general the country can ever have.
Speaking on Wednesday, Duale said that Haji has had a distinguished career in the intelligence service, from his early life.
He said the NIS boss grew through the ranks to become deputy director before he left to work as the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
The CS said he also had a successful career as DPP, despite not completing his term.
"From an early age, Noordin Haji was a career intelligence officer, and rose to the position of Deputy Director. For you to rise to the position of deputy director in the NIS is highly coveted. Noordin Haji is one of the best DG the country can have," Duale said on Citizen TV.
He went on to say that from his perspective, Haji fits the job.
"Many will say the minister (Duale) is saying this because Noordin comes from his community and his county, that notwithstanding, Noordin Haji fits the bill."
The Defence CS, however, refused to comment on the recent remarks by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who accused Haji of failing President William Ruto.
He said he was not ready to discuss his boss.
"Let's not discuss the DP he is second in command, he is my boss," Duale said.
On June 26, Gachagua in a press briefing at his Mombasa residence claimed the NIS boss failed to inform the President about the magnitude of the protests in time to avert the unprecedented carnage and loss of lives.
"I sympathise with my boss President William Ruto because this information was not available to him,” Gachagua said.
The DP said following this very critical oversight, Haji should have done the most honourable thing and resign.
“We have a dysfunctional National Intelligence Service that has exposed the President, the government and the people of Kenya," he claimed.
"Had the National Intelligence Service briefed the President two months ago about how the people feel about the Finance Bill, 2024, so many Kenyans would not have died, property would not have been destroyed, offices would not have been destroyed. There would have been no mayhem, but they slept on the job.”
Gachagua said it had to take nationwide protests for the president to know the truth about how people felt about the proposed new taxes in the Bill "yet there is an organisation paid for by the public to brief the President and the government about the feeling of the Kenyan people".
The DP further claimed that senior National Police Service officers told him in confidence that they did not have prior intelligence about the magnitude of the protests organised largely by Gen Z.