Football boss Sam Nyamweya welcomes Noordin Haji’s appointment as spy chief
By Mercy SimiyuFormer Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Sam Nyamweya has backed Noordin Haji’s appointment as the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director.
Haji was recently appointed by President William Ruto to the role as the country’s spymaster, replacing Phillip Kamweru who is set to retire.
He is set to assume office pending vetting and clearance from Parliament.
“Mr Haji has distinguished himself as a diligent and patriotic public servant and professional. I know Haji as an honest, diligent and professional who is above reproach and I laud the Head of State for appointing him,” explained Nyamweya in a statement.
“As a trained lawyer and sleuth,” the veteran football administrator added, “Mr Haji often sniffed the political malice in the extra-judicial, illegal and extortionist cases crafted against some innocent Kenyans by the politically plaint office of the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
“His return to NIS is merited and akin to returning a fish to water. Haji will be a critical player in ensuring hygiene in the dispensation of justice for all that the country so badly needs to usher in an era of great promise in socio-economic and political transformation, institutional independence, accountable and transparent public service delivery and banishing political witch hunts.”
The son of Yusuf Haji, a career civil servant and politician who served in different portfolios including as a Senator, Provinvial Commisioner and Cabinet Secretary in President Daniel Moi, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta’s governments, Noordin, a lawyer, boasts a distinguished career.
He has in the past served as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and before that enjoyed a stint as the Deputy Director of Counter Terrorism in the National Intelligence Service.
Besides Nyamweya, Haji’s appointment has also been welcomed by leaders from Northern Kenya who described him as competent and equal to the task.
Nyamweya enjoys an expansive stint in football management. He was in charge of FKF between 2011 and 2016 when the men’s national football team won the 2013 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup and the women’s team qualified for the 2016 Africa Women Cup of Nations.
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