- Director General of Kenya's National Intelligence Service (NIS) Noordin Haji and his Ethiopian counterpart Redwan Hussein met with President William Ruto on Friday
- The meeting, according to Ruto, focused more on efforts to deal with security challenges in the greater East African region, such as terrorism
- The meeting between Ruto and Haji came days after Ruto was heavily accused of orchestrating the kidnapping of alleged government critics.
Nairobi – President William Rutoon Friday, January 17, met with the director general of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Noordin Haji.
Source: UGC
The meeting at the Nairobi Palace also witnessed the attendance of the Director General of the National Security Intelligence Service of Ethiopia, Redwan Hussein.
In his Twitter message on Saturday, December 18, the president revealed that the meeting focused not only on the security of Kenya but also the greater Horn of Africa.
Ruto appreciated that a large area of East Africa is facing security challenges such as terrorism, hence the need for joint efforts to avoid them through cooperation between countries.
“Security challenges such as terrorism and organized crime require collaborative efforts among countries in the Horn of Africa. Kenya is committed to working with partners and countries around the world to bring stability. He discussed regional security with the Director General of the National Security Intelligence Service of Ethiopian Ambassador Redwan Hussien,” read the president's update.
The meeting came days after Kenya's NIS chief was linked to recent kidnappings.
How Muturi linked Noordin Haji to the kidnapping
In a report announced on January 14, the Secretary of the Cabinet for Public Service Justin Muturi linked Haji to the kidnapping, leading to the enforced disappearance of his son Leslie Muturi.
Muturi claimed that Haji was at the center of Leslie's kidnapping in June 2024.
The Minister's son was allegedly kidnapped on June 23, 2024, Kilimani area of Nairobi by people believed to be police officers.
The hijacking took place at the height of public anger over the 2024 Finance Bill.
In his document on the investigation at the Kilimani Police Station, Muturi said he was sure that it was the NIS boss who approved the kidnapping of his son.
Muturi claimed that being helpless at the time, he approached the former Minister of Internal Security Kithur Kindiki to share with him the suffering his family was going through following Leslie's disappearance.
Kindiki, on the other hand, reportedly contacted Haji, who denied having anything to do with the disappearance of CS's child; Kindiki would not pursue the issue further after Haji's response.
Dissatisfied with Kindiki's lukewarm attitude on the issue, Muturi decided to involve Ruto.
How Ruto helped Muturi get his son's freedom
Muturi said in his report that he traveled to the State House, Nairobi, where he contacted the president directly.
Ruto, according to Muturi, took the initiative, called and demanded an explanation from Haji, who allegedly immediately confessed to detaining Leslie.
Under pressure from the president, Haji directed Leslie's captors to release him.
Muturi's allegations gave the Kenyan public a new perspective on the kidnapping ring.
He suggested that the forced disappearance of citizens considered dissidents is authorized from the highest levels of the country's security apparatus.
How Gachagua implicated Noordin Haji in the security breach
The prime minister's document came several months after former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua accused Haji of being incompetent and failing to protect the country when General Zs protests were in full swing.
According to Gachagua, the NIS under Haji failed to provide the required intelligence on protest that and the effects that may emerge.
Gachagua noted that Ruto did not have the necessary intelligence information about the state of the country regarding the 2024 Finance Bill, and Haji is to blame.
He argued that it should not have taken innocent people to die for the president to know about the sentiments of Kenyans against the damned tax bill, which he (Ruto) refused to accept.
Gachagua later suggested to the president to fire Haji if he did not resign from his post.
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
