New Intelligence chief will find his in-tray full

The nominee for Director-General of the National Intelligence Service will find onerous responsibilities awaiting him if confirmed by the National Assembly.

Coming in from the military, where he was head of Military Intelligence, Major-General Philip Kameru has a fairly impressive resume with over 36 years service in the Kenya Army and various advanced professional and academic qualifications.

However, he will immediately have to deal with the issues that have in the past year earned the National Intelligence Service unflattering publicity, culminating in the removal of Maj-Gen Michael Gichangi after eight years at the helm.

ROBUST TRUST

The new top spy will have to cultivate the trust of serving officers, who will not fail to note that for the third time in succession, the Intelligence chief has been brought in from the military.

It will be partly his task, alongside the appointing authorities, to dispel any notions that career Intelligence officers are considered unworthy of the critical assignment.

Maj-Gen Kameru will have to confront the issues that preceded the resignation of his predecessor, mainly accusations that the spate of terrorist attacks over the past year can be attributed to failures in the Intelligence branch.

MENDING RELATIONSHIPS

It might also be presumed that a new man will also mean an end to the kind of spats witnessed between Mr Gichangi, the Kenya Defence Forces commander, and the Inspector-General of Police.

While mending relationships, however, the new spy chief will have to be clear that the Intelligence Service is not subservient to any other agency.

Professionalism and independence from political, ethnic and other loyalties must remain key to an effective Intelligence Service.

This is what Maj-Gen Kameru must take into his new office.