Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on Wednesday unleashed a bombshell calling for the resignation of National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General Noordin Haji over what he described as dissemination of disjointed intelligence to President William Ruto.
Speaking during a live press conference, Gachagua claimed that the country has a dysfunctional intelligence system, insisting that NIS had failed in intelligence gathering, which could have been used to avert the fatal demonstrations on Tuesday.
During the same address, Gachagua also claimed that 13 NIS assistant directors had been removed from the intelligence service after Haji rose to the powerful position.
Gachagua did not mince his words insisting that Haji, the former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) holds the largest blame for Tuesday's protest by failing to gather accurate intelligence leading to Ruto receiving inactionable information.
"We have a dysfunctional NIS that has exposed the government and the people of Kenya. Had the NIS briefed the president two months ago about how the people of Kenya feel about the Finance Bill 2024, so many Kenyans would not have died. There would have been no mayhem, but they slept on the job."
"Noordin Haji must take responsibility for the deaths, mayhem, failing President Ruto and Kenya for not doing his job. He must do the honourable thing, not just taking responsibility but resign," Gachagua stated.
According to Gachagua, the brewing rage that led to Kenyans storming Parliament was the clearest indication of failure since such actions were unprecedented in Kenya's history.
Gachagua further claimed that a day before his press conference, Noordin Haji was trying to put up a team together to drive a propaganda campaign and attribute the chaos to a section of targeted leaders including him and the former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
He added that the President fairly cleared the air by admitting that the protests were caused by the anger of Kenyans on the Finance Bill.
The Deputy President also proceeded to laud the Generation Z for making their voices heard.
"I want to call upon Gen Z to tell us whom to engage because they are tribeless, leaderless and have no organizational structure but we would like to engage with the right people."
He cautioned young leaders against scrambling together their allies purporting to represent Gen Z in the touted talks between young Kenyans and the Executive over the fallout from the failed attempt to push through the Finance Bill, 2024.
He urged the younger generation to come up with a structure on how they can engage the government on key issues affecting them.
