Stop 'Ruto must go' chants, NIS and KDF warn

Two of the country’s top security chiefs publicly opened up on the state of the country’s security, speaking firmly about their resolve to maintain a constitutional order, and rallying Kenyans to lend full support to securing their country.

In an unprecedented move, National Intelligence Service (NIS) through its boss Noordin Haji gave an inaugural public lecture on “Kenya’s evolving security landscape” in an event which was also addressed by the Chief of Defence Forces General Charles Kahariri, and Attorney General Dorcas Oduor.

The event, held at National Intelligence and Research University (NIRU) and attended by university students, civil society actors, members of matatu and boda boda associations, scholars and religious leaders, was the first of its kind for the security chiefs, but also in the wake of Gen Z protests of last year.

Gen Kahariri said the military will not countenance unconstitutional overthrow of an elected government, underscoring the military oath of allegiance to both the constitution and the republic and urging Kenyans to focus on the ballot to resolve their political contestations.

"We can't have anarchy as a country. Even as people exercise their freedom, they must do so within certain limits. We, the military, are apolitical. We don't support any of the political sides. We defend the Constitution and the government of the day, duly elected by the people. So, wakati watu wanaamua kwamba tumechoka na hii serikali, na mlichagua wenyewe, halafu mnasema must go, must go. That must go, must be done according to the constitution. When people question why the military was deployed... we have a responsibility, we took an oath to defend the constitution, to defend the republic." he said, affirming that the military is, and will remain, apolitical.

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He spoke strongly about emerging threats posed by weakening state institutions in neighboring countries, including the war in Sudan, the resurgence of violence in South Sudan, and the civil strife bedeviling Ethiopia, Kenya’s traditional defense ally.

He spoke as Haji faced one of the victims of last year’s abductions in the eye, and said the agency he leads is not in the business of abducting Kenyans. Macharia Gaitho, a veteran journalist, was abducted inside a police station and released in what police said was a case of mistaken identity.

At yesterday’s public lecture, he pushed the agency to account for the events of last year.

“These matters are in court. We respect the constitution and apply it to the letter in discharging our mandate. The fact that we are unable to talk and defend ourselves means that we get misrepresented a lot, and a lot of disinformation is out there about our roles,” he said.

Haji struggled to explain the position his agency finds itself in, having to balance its secretive mode of operation, adding that “in a democratic state, silence must never be mistaken for impunity,” and resorting to an allegory to explain himself:

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“If a blanket keeps you warm through the storm, it may not always be wise to unravel the stitches to understand how. In seeking to know every thread, you may undo the very thing that shields you.”

He told the lecture that between Kenyan’s right to ask questions is NIS’s duty to protect, between the call for transparency, NIS’s responsibility of secrecy, and between the “loud drum of accountability”, the spy agency’s quiet work of national security.

“Whilst, secrecy can be uncomfortable, it is sometimes the last shield between a vulnerable citizen and a dangerous actor. Today, however, lifting the veil of secrecy, even slightly, serves a crucial purpose. It enables us to dispel myths that distort the true role of intelligence in a democracy,” he said.

He revealed that the Security Laws Amendment Act (2014) had significantly expanded the mandate of the agency, empowering it to adopt a proactive posture against emerging threats.

During the lecture, Haji bemoaned the feeling that “the soul of the republic is being eroded by divisive politics and inflammatory rhetoric.” He said that this was polarizing the people and undermining national cohesion.

“Political competition has morphed into a persistent state of national instability, fueled public anger, with media platforms eager to sensationalize divisions,” he complained.

He further cited deep-fake technology, Artificial intelligence-generated propaganda, and foreign influence operations as some of the factors involved in manipulating public opinion and eroding trust in state institutions.

He hailed the strong role of media in today's society as a moulder of minds, a framer of perceptions, and a shaper of consensus. Its influence, he said, runs deeper than headlines.

“It affects belief, emotion, and action. When falsehoods are repeated and fear is amplified, a new reality takes root—one divorced from truth. This is the danger of irresponsible media. The power to build is the same power to destroy,” he said.

He spoke of the need to repair the broken political landscape to create a resilient state and nation. An irreversible state, he said, cannot be built on divisive and exclusionary politics anchored on competing ethnicities.

At the lecture, Haji spoke in detail about the regional and international threats facing the country. He painted the picture of a rapidly evolving global landscape evidenced by the shift toward inward-looking policies among Western nations.

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He described the situation as “Risk with a high degree of randomness” featuring a changing world order, multilateralism, exponential growth in disruptive technologies, resurgence of nationalism and protectionist policies, and climate-induced threats.

He said climate change, global pandemics, and weaponisation of emerging technologies have raised the spectre of a ‘Poly-crisis’ with implications on security governance and survival.  

Also, the declining multilateralism amplified by the disregard of international institutions such as the UN has necessitated the adoption of self-help mechanisms and initiatives that are limiting global cooperation in various fields, including security, health, development and trade

“The far right narratives being pushed in Europe and America continue to create a false consciousness of nationhood and intolerance of minority groups,” he said, adding that the convergence of new technologies has provided non-state actors with access to relatively cheap, long-range and autonomous weapons,” he said.

He urged Africa to take charge of its digital future, insisting that it must go beyond roles such as content moderation and instead “foster AI research, development, and strategic partnerships that empower the continent.”