| Former Kenyan spy chief, Major-General Michael Gichangi, may not have retired voluntarily in September as many believed.
Indications are that President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto hold him responsible for their embarrassing indictment before the International Criminal Court. As head of the National Intelligence Service under Kenyatta’s predecessor Kibabaki, Gichangi expectedly played a big role in compiling the then Finance Minister Kenyatta’s alleged involvement crimes against humanity and the submission of the Kenyatta/Ruto indictment first to the local Waki Commission and subsequently to the ICC. Kenyatta aides believe Gichangi and some senior bosses in NIS and some high ranking public servants under Kibaki, were part of a team that conspired to ensure Kenyatta and Ruto were tied up in cases at the ICC to prevent them from vying in the last General Election which they eventually won. Allegedly Gichangi and his team preferred Kenyatta’s opponent who the team believed to be ‘easy to handle’ compared to Kenyatta and whom the NIS gave support through its extensive network. On top of all that Gichangi was reportedly at daggers drawn with his overall boss, General Julius Karangi, the Chief of Defence Forces. Such was to be expected though as worldwide spy agencies accept the supervision only of the Presidency. Observers of the goings on in the corridors of power at Harambe House talk of “overwhelming pressure” on Gichangi to resign, to save himself the embarrassment of being fired. |
Besides there are reports that President Kenyatta may have decided to edge out the advisers he inherited from former President Kibaki’s government, many of whom took pleasure in frustrating him at every turn before he became President.
“It is true that President Kenyatta’s candidacy was caused jitters to what you might call systems men of the day. Because he refused to cut deals with them, they feared the situation would get worse if he was elected President,” explained Munyori Buku, a Senior Kenyatta aide.
He recalled an occasion when Kenyatta’s approved trip to Turkey was cancelled at the last minute: “We were going to Turkey with the minister, then that morning he came prepared to travel but as we prepared to go to the airport, we received a call from Harambee House saying approval for his trip had been cancelled”.
Shorn of power games, critics believe Gichangi may have been shown the door due to the increase in terror attacks, which have raised questions on collection and sharing of intelligence by the NIS, which he has always rebutted, insisting that NIS had always done its job.