Uhuru Kenyatta sticks with military generals for new spy chief

What you need to know:

Parliament’s Defence and Foreign Relations Committee will vet the nominee within 14 days and present a report to Parliament.
He becomes the third head of the NIS since it was established in 1999, with all the three heads including Mr Gichangi and Wilson Boinett joining the spy agency from the military intelligence.
The appointment of the NIS chief is deemed political given that he/she must have the confidence of the President.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has stuck with the tradition of tapping the military for the head of National Intelligence Service (NIS) following the last week’s resignation of Major-General Michael Gichangi.

Mr Kenyatta Thursday nominated Major-General Philip Kameru, the current director of military intelligence, as Kenya’s next spy chief.

Parliament’s Defence and Foreign Relations Committee will vet the nominee within 14 days and present a report to Parliament.

He becomes the third head of the NIS since it was established in 1999, with all the three heads including Mr Gichangi and Wilson Boinett joining the spy agency from the military intelligence. Mr Boinett served between 1999 and 2006 before he was replaced by Mr Gichangi.

“Our intelligence service must now meet both new and old challenges. Major-General Kameru has gathered extensive experience in operational and administrative matters. He has also undergone rigorous training both in Kenya and abroad,” President Kenyatta said.

“He is credited with the success of Kenya’s intelligence-gathering in Somalia, as part of the AU Mission in Somalia.”

NIS and other security agencies have been on the spot following attacks in various parts of the country, starting with the Westgate mall attack in September last year to the recent Lamu raids, where security officers were accused of laxity.

The appointment of the NIS chief is deemed political given that he/she must have the confidence of the President.