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Economy
DPP Haji set for spy chief job after MPs give nod
Tuesday June 13 2023
Nominee for Director General National Intelligence Service Noordin Haji before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations at the County Hall, Nairobi County on May 30, 2023 for vetting. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NMG
MPs have approved the appointment of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji as the next spymaster, paving the way for him to return to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), where he was a top spy officer.
The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations has recommended his approval, which will see him replace retiring Major-General (Rtd) Philip Kameru, who has been the NIS director-general since 2014.
“Having considered the suitability, capacity and integrity of the nominee...The National Assembly approves the nomination of Mr Noordin Mohammed Haji, CBS, OGW, for appointment as the Director-General Intelligence Service,” the committee said in its report.
The MPs dismissed several petitions filed against Mr Haji’s nomination by President William Ruto as lacking merit. They said petitioners failed to exhaust the existing mechanisms for his removal from office, while others were dismissed because they had filed similar cases in court.
The committee led by Belgut MP Nelson Koech observed that the nomination of Mr Haji by the President was done in accordance with the law.
A petition filed by Transparency International was dismissed on the grounds that it failed to use the existing constitutional mechanisms to remove him from office as DPP.
“The nominee has not been charged in a court of law in the past three years, a requirement under the Public Appointments Parliamentary Approval Act,” the MPs stated.
Read: Noordin Haji: Why withdrawal of high profile graft cases does not daunt career sleuth
MPs praised Mr Haji’s mastery of issues surrounding the spy agency.
“During the approval hearing, the nominee demonstrated knowledge of topical, administrative, and technical issues touching on government and has the requisite abilities, qualifications, and experience to serve as the Director General of the National Intelligence Service,” the committee said.
The debate on the suitability report for Mr Haji to serve as the next spymaster is set for Tuesday afternoon.
If adopted, Mr Haji’s name will be forwarded to President William Ruto for appointment.
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