Gladys Boss Criticizes DP Gachagua’s “Juvenile” Breach of Official Secrecy Act » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 8 – Uasin Gishu Women Representative Gladys Shollei has criticized Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for breaching his oath of secrecy as a member of the National Security Council by publicly discussing intelligence and security matters.
In her submissions before Parliament on Tuesday during the impeachment motion hearing, Shollei referenced a press briefing held by Gachagua on June 25, 2024, in Mombasa, coinciding with heightened anti-government protests.
During this briefing, Gachagua criticized the Director General of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Noordin Haji, for providing faulty intelligence and firing several senior officers within the agency. Shollei emphasized that, as a state officer and member of the National Security Council under Article 240 of the Constitution, Gachagua is legally bound not to disclose sensitive information obtained during council meetings.
“He cannot discuss intelligence briefs that come to his knowledge during the proceedings of the National Security Council, and with that, he has violated the Official Secrets Act and his oath of secrecy,” she stated.
Shollei further asserted that any grievances Gachagua might have had should have been raised within the National Security Council or directly with President William Ruto, rather than aired publicly.
“That is wrong; in fact, it is juvenile. It reveals him as a person who is unhinged and cannot control his tongue,” she remarked.
In response, DP Gachagua demanded the resignation of Haji, accusing him of failing to adequately advise President Ruto on the Finance Bill 2024, which he claimed led to widespread chaos and loss of life. He criticized Haji for mishandling intelligence that could have prevented the nationwide unrest that resulted in several deaths.
Gachagua alleged that Haji was attempting to shift blame onto former President Uhuru Kenyatta and himself. “Yesterday, Noordin Haji was trying to assemble a team to craft lies and propaganda, attributing the chaos in the country to leaders like former President Uhuru Kenyatta and myself,” Gachagua stated.
The Deputy President also claimed that NIS was targeting Members of Parliament who voted against the Finance Bill, harassing them for their political stance. “I want to call on the National Intelligence Service not to take us back to the dark old days of the Nyayo era, where propaganda and schemes were used to undermine leaders and those you disagree with,” he said.
Gachagua accused Haji of incompetence and an inferiority complex, which he claimed led to the dismissal of senior personnel within NIS, crippling its capacity. “The Director General, Noordin Haji, who was once a junior in the NIS, has chased away all senior personnel due to his inferiority complex, making the service dysfunctional,” Gachagua alleged.
He detailed that Haji had dismissed three directors and reassigned 13 assistant directors to desk jobs in various ministries. “Three directors were reassigned to desk jobs, and 13 assistant directors with proven track records in intelligence collection and analysis were removed, leaving a shell of an organization under a clueless director general,” he explained.
Gachagua argued that this incompetence had exposed the President to potential risks and hindered effective governance. “Had the National Intelligence Service briefed the President two months ago about how Kenyans feel about the Finance Bill 2024, many lives and properties could have been saved,” he asserted.
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