Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claims that the National Intelligence Service (NIS), commanded by Noordin Haji, is abducting people and committing extrajudicial killings.
Addressing the nation from Mombasa on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, Gachagua accused NIS of exploiting the criminal justice system to manage politics.
“I want to call upon overzealous heads of security agencies not to be tempted to use the criminal justice system to manage politics. Let us manage politics the conventional way through reaching out consensus and concurrence,” he said.
He expressed concern that the NIS was targeting Members of Parliament (MPs) who voted against the contentious Finance Bill 2024, which the government has since withdrawn.
“I am informed that Members of Parliament who voted no have already been targeted by the National Intelligence Service for harassment for their political stand. This is a promise the president and I gave to the people of Kenya that never again shall we use the criminal justice system to manage politics,” Gachagua remarked.
Gachagua criticized the NIS for returning to tactics that President William Ruto’s government had vowed to eliminate, including abductions and extrajudicial killings.
“I want to say that the president and I gave a promise to Kenyans that the issue of abductions and extra-judicial killings will never happen again. Sadly, this is back,” Gachagua said.
The DP questioned what would happen to ordinary Kenyans, pointing out that the NIS abducted Attorney General Justin Muturi’s son and held him incommunicado for 18 hours.
“It is unbelievable that the son of the honourable Attorney General of Kenya Justin Bedan Muturi was abducted at night in a commando style by officers of the National Intelligence Service and held incommunicado for 18 hours. Yet that is the honourable Attorney General of the Republic of Kenya, what will happen to other Kenyans,” Gachagua said.
Adding that; “I want to ask the law enforcement agencies to dignify the president and I before the people of Kenya and not backtrack on the promises we made to the people of Kenya. That we shall never again use the criminal justice system to manage politics.”
