Heads roll at spy service as Kameru tightens grip

Major changes have taken place at the National Intelligence Service, albeit silently, since Major General Philip Kameru took over leadership last year.

In the past two months, two directors who held key portfolios during the era of Maj Gen (rtd) Michael Gichangi have since left the Service and new ones appointed.

Besides dropping the directors, Maj Gen Kameru — who arrived at the civilian outfit in August after years in Military Intelligence — has also reshuffled senior spymasters.

Mr Chris Mburu, who was the director in charge of external intelligence, has left together with Mr Joseph Kamau, who headed the Operations division.

Their exit triggered a reshuffle in which Mr Francis Mwongo was moved from Internal intelligence docket to replace Mr Mburu. Mr Kamau was replaced by Major (rtd) Boniface Mativo from the Military Academy.

Maj Gen (rtd) Gichangi quit in August last year in what was understood to be a result of a fallout with influential politicians and peers in other security agencies.

Before then, Mr Mwongo was the defacto second in command at NIS and the Internal Intelligence division was the most powerful docket, controlling a large budget and resources.

But under Maj Gen Kameru, the Sunday Nation has learnt that despite the internal division remaining the most sought-after posting, the head of the Strategic and Coordination Division, Mr Alexander Muteshi, has emerged as the defacto number 2.

There are eight directors under the director-general of the NIS.

Mr Muteshi was moved from Analysis and Production division where he was the director until about two months ago.

POWERFUL DOCKET

The powerful Internal docket is now under Mr George Waiguru (no relations with Devolution Cabinet secretary Anne Waiguru).

Major (rtd) Raphael Kosen was moved from Information Communication Technology to Analysis and Production. The Administration division is now headed by Ms Agnes Shikuku, replacing Mr Sam Otieno, who is now in charge of the Academy. Mr Moses Tenai remains in charge of Counter Intelligence.

A source privy to the operations of NIS, who cannot be named lest it is interpreted as exposing an organisation whose activities are virtually undercover, said the changes were obvious if Maj Gen Kameru had to gain a tight grip on leadership.

His appointment was viewed as a remedy to the frosty relations his predecessor, Maj Gen (rtd) Gichangi, had especially with the police — the principal consumers of intelligence briefs.

There existed poor working relations between Maj Gen (rtd) Gichangi and former Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo and Chief of Defence Forces Julius Karangi. Security officials privy to the relations say the differences were mostly on professional grounds.

Before Mr Kimaiyo took over, the police service was already at loggerheads with the NIS chief. As the relations deteriorated, former police commissioner Mathew Iteere reacted by establishing an intelligence outfit, the Criminal Intelligence Unit, under the then CID.

The police habitually complained that NIS briefs were too general, and therefore not actionable. This was in reaction to terror attacks that took place regularly. The police said the NIS briefs were unreliable to forestall them.

Most notable arguments against Maj Gen (rtd) Gichangi was after the Westagate terror attack in which 71 people died in September 2013, and thereafter the killing of nearly 70 people in Mpeketoni in June last year.

But in leaked intelligence briefs, NIS showed it had forewarned of the terror attacks and heaped blame on the police, further straining the damaged relations.

However, the cycle of deadly killings by Al-Shabaab has not changed, even after heads rolled — from with Mandera killings last year (58 lives lost, with Mr Kimaiyo carrying the blame and retiring) to the terror attack two weeks ago that claimed 148 lives at Garissa University College.

Security officers say the briefs the top police command received from NIS prior to the attacks were actionable.