Parliament will on May 30 grill the National Intelligence Service (NIS) director general nominee Noordin Haji on his suitability for the position.
Haji, the current Director of public prosecutions was nominated by President William Ruto through a communication from the head of public Felix Koskei.
In a notice, National Assembly’s departmental committee on Defence, Intelligence, and foreign relations has invited the public to submit written statements about the candidate.
“In compliance with Article 118 (1) (b) of the Constitution and section 6 (9) of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, 2011, the Departmental Committee on Defense, Intelligence and Foreign Relations hereby invite the public to submit any representations they may have with supporting evidence contesting the suitability of the nominee,” the notice issued by the clerk reads in part.
If successful, Haji is set to succeed Philip Kameru who is serving his final second term in office following the renewal of his contract by retired president Uhuru Kenyatta in 2019.
Haji previously served at the spy agency as the Deputy Director of the Counter Organised Crime Unit within the National Intelligence Service.
He holds a Bachelor of Law and Master’s degree from the University of Wales, Cardiff.
Additionally, he holds a second Master’s Degree in National Security Policy with Merit (MNSPO) from the Australian National University.
Haji was admitted to the Bar in 1999 and thereafter joined the Public Service in January 2000, working at the Attorney General’s Office.
Kameru on the other hand rose through the ranks in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) to the position of Director of Military Intelligence before he was appointed back in 2014
"Under Major General Kimeru's watch, Kenya's premier civilian intelligence agency has made monumental strides in the fight against terrorism, transnational crimes, and other major threats to our national and regional security," Ruto said.