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Parliament okays Uhuru choice for spy chief, envoys
PARLIAMENT | Call to have head of NIS in National Police Service Commission
Parliament yesterday approved the appointment of Major-General Philip Wachira Kameru as the new director-general of the National Intelligence Service. Also approved were 25 envoys, clearing the way for their swearing in. Yesterday’s special sitting of Parliament, convened specifically to discuss the appointments, was devoid of the fireworks promised by those who opposed Gen Kameru’s appointment. This was the first time that Parliament is approving the appointment of a NIS chief and envoys, a requirement under the new constitution. Sentiment in the House was fairly unanimous and after an hour and half of debate, MPs asked for a vote and approved Gen Kameru’s appointment. The 25 nominees to various ambassadorial postings — 16 new appointees, three in missions, four based at the Foreign Affairs ministry and one newly appointed diplomat — all sailed through.
Although some MPs from the Opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy had suggested the nomination of Gen Kameru would present them an opportunity to criticize the President for failing to nominate the NIS head from outside Central Kenya, there was little of that. The biggest dramatic moment of the afternoon came as the MPs debated the report on the ambassadors when Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa claimed he had dissented on some nominees but that had been removed from the report. After an exchange between him and the leadership of the committee,
Speaker Justice Muturi criticized the clerks of the committee for poor record keeping and suggested chairman Ndung’u Gethenji could have done a better job handling the team. Mr Gethenji was on the spot in the morning when he tried to table the report of the committee without the Speaker having approved it. Earlier, MPs criticized the performance of the intelligence service and said they hoped Gen Kameru will change it for the better and suggested different ways it can work. There were expressions of concern that the agency has lost its focus on security and become politicised. Defence and Foreign Relations Committee member Adan Keynan said over the last five years, NIS’ functions have been politicised and the perception has been created that it does more of a political than security job. Gen Kameru, he said, should allow the rest of the security agencies to do their work.
“Over the last few years, other agencies have been complaining that NIS has transformed itself into the prefect of the other security agencies,” said Mr Keynan. Minority Leader Francis Nyenze supported the nomination but said that the next time, President Kenyatta should appoint someone from outside Central Kenya. Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo also supported Gen Kameru’s nomination but said the head of NIS should sit in the National Police Service Commission so that the information gathered by the agency can be given to the police. “Right now NIS can gather information about a chicken stolen in Siaya and take it to the President,” he said. He said the House investigated the Westgate attack last year, when NIS said it passed on intelligence to the police but that the assertion was not verifiable.
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Parliament yesterday approved the appointment of Major-General Philip Wachira Kameru as the new director-general of the National Intelligence Service. Also approved were 25 envoys, clearing the way for their swearing in. Yesterday’s special sitting of Parliament, convened specifically to discuss the appointments, was devoid of the fireworks promised by those who opposed Gen Kameru’s appointment. This was the first time that Parliament is approving the appointment of a NIS chief and envoys, a requirement under the new constitution. Sentiment in the House was fairly unanimous and after an hour and half of debate, MPs asked for a vote and approved Gen Kameru’s appointment. The 25 nominees to various ambassadorial postings — 16 new appointees, three in missions, four based at the Foreign Affairs ministry and one newly appointed diplomat — all sailed through.
Although some MPs from the Opposition Coalition for Reforms and Democracy had suggested the nomination of Gen Kameru would present them an opportunity to criticize the President for failing to nominate the NIS head from outside Central Kenya, there was little of that. The biggest dramatic moment of the afternoon came as the MPs debated the report on the ambassadors when Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa claimed he had dissented on some nominees but that had been removed from the report. After an exchange between him and the leadership of the committee,
Speaker Justice Muturi criticized the clerks of the committee for poor record keeping and suggested chairman Ndung’u Gethenji could have done a better job handling the team. Mr Gethenji was on the spot in the morning when he tried to table the report of the committee without the Speaker having approved it. Earlier, MPs criticized the performance of the intelligence service and said they hoped Gen Kameru will change it for the better and suggested different ways it can work. There were expressions of concern that the agency has lost its focus on security and become politicised. Defence and Foreign Relations Committee member Adan Keynan said over the last five years, NIS’ functions have been politicised and the perception has been created that it does more of a political than security job. Gen Kameru, he said, should allow the rest of the security agencies to do their work.
“Over the last few years, other agencies have been complaining that NIS has transformed itself into the prefect of the other security agencies,” said Mr Keynan. Minority Leader Francis Nyenze supported the nomination but said that the next time, President Kenyatta should appoint someone from outside Central Kenya. Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo also supported Gen Kameru’s nomination but said the head of NIS should sit in the National Police Service Commission so that the information gathered by the agency can be given to the police. “Right now NIS can gather information about a chicken stolen in Siaya and take it to the President,” he said. He said the House investigated the Westgate attack last year, when NIS said it passed on intelligence to the police but that the assertion was not verifiable.
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