WHY Uhuru SACKED the Intelligence boss Michael Gichangi
President Uhuru have been in dilemma on how to deal with National Intelligence Service boss Michael Gichangi and other security officials. Sources have claimed that the President never wanted Gichangi to acrimoniously be kicked out of office over his trial at the International Criminal Court.
Gichangi finally isolated for handing in NSIS dossier to ICC during the Waki report compilation…. welcome to the world of an unforgiving, vengeful and vindictive leader….
ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will be lying on intelligence briefs collected during the 2008 post-election violence.
Gichangi, is reportedly one of the witnesses that Uhuru's defence may be preparing to call as a way of handling the alleged evidence collected by the prosecution from NIS briefs.
Gichangi had to go because by maintaining him it would mean that Uhuru was aware of the intelligence briefs that warned of impending attacks at the Westgate Mall and Mpeketoni
NIS briefs show that the Israeli Embassy had warned of likely attacks targeting its citizens and Westgate, which is partly owned by Israeli nationals has been a terror target for over one year.
According to the law, the NIS Director General is the principal advisor to the President and Government on national security based on security intelligence and counter intelligence to enhance national security.
The Director General also reports to the President, the National Security Council and the Cabinet Secretary on threats and potential threats to national security and national interests as is appropriate.
"Retaining Gichangi would be seen to endorse the notion that the President was fully aware of the intelligence briefs. This put the President on the spot and also gives Cord the ammunition to discredit him and the government," a government source said.
According to Section 10(3) of the National Intelligence Service Act, the President has to form a tribunal before the removal of an NIS Director General.
The law however allows for the Gichangi to be redeployed within the Public Service if they were working in the service before their appointment.
According to the leaked American cables, Wikileaks, in 2006, the then US ambassador William Bellamy had expressed concerns over the appointment of Gichangi as the NIS boss.
"Post has let State House know privately that, though this was purely a sovereign decision for Kenya to make, the choice of Gichangi, and the manner of his appointment, puts at risk continued success in our highest joint priority, counter-terrorism," Bellamy wrote.
He added that Gichangi was a poor choice because he had been opposed to joint anti-terror efforts withing government agencies.
"During his just-concluded tenure as head of the National Counter-Terrorism Center, Gichangi fought tooth and nail against the creation of a Joint Terrorism Task Force designed to bring police, prosecutors and intelligence experts into a joint team. Relatively new to NSIS, Gichangi is as well-known for being a political operator as he is a military professional," Bellamy said.
Gichangi has been consistent in handing over intelligence about incidents like Westgate and Mpeketoni but which were never acted upon to sabotage and make Gichangi look bad….the poor dude has no police or army under him. And he briefs the President every morning on all events across the republic for previous 24 hrs.
Gichangi is however a moving encyclopedia about who was behind PEV in 2007/8. Thats why I cant wait to read his Miguna type of expose, which I know that unless he is handled with kid gloves, he will for sure be penning soon.
But I can assure you there will be serious fall out within Jubilee. This is just a tip of the iceberg. Gichangi's forced resignation is the culmination of a blame game that has been ongoing for sometime. The kitchen cabinet is divided. Which signals the beginning of Uhuru's end.
What Kenya needs is an effective and capable President who is up to the task, a person who knows what he is doing… a person who is up-to the role of Commander In Chief! This game of musical chairs wont ameliorate insecurity… so long as the root cause of the problem- which is poor leadership at the top persists…
Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: Uhuru Kenyatta