BRIEF: President Uhuru Kenyatta with NIS director Michael Gichangi at the Unep headquarters in Gigiri in July.
PRESIDENT Uhuru Kenyatta is said to be facing growing dilemma on how to deal with National Intelligence Service boss Michael Gichangi and other security officials.
Uhuru is also said to be preparing to make major changes in the country's security apparatus following the Wetsgate terror attack that left tens of people dead.
The President is said to be considering to move Interior and National Coordination Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku as part of the changes in security.
But as MPs from both Jubilee and Cord continue to bar for Gichangi's blood, the President is said to be cautious on how he deals with him.
Sources have claimed that the President does not want Gichangi to acrimoniously be kicked out of office over his trial at the International Criminal Court.
ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will be lying on intelligence briefs collected during the 2008 post-election violence.
Gichangi, is reportedly one of the witnesses that Uhuru's defence may be preparing to call as a way of handling the alleged evidence collected by the prosecution from NIS briefs.
The other dilemma said to be facing the President and his people is that if Gichangi is maintained, it would mean that Uhuru was aware of the intelligence briefs that warned of impending attacks.
NIS briefs show that the Israeli Embassy had warned of likely attacks targeting its citizens and Westgate, which is partly owned by Israeli nationals has been a terror target for over one year.
According to the law, the NIS Director General is the principal advisor to the President and Government on national security based on security intelligence and counter intelligence to enhance national security.
The DG also reports to the President, the National Security Council and the Cabinet Secretary on threats and potential threats to national security and national interests as is appropriate.
"Retaining Gichangi would be seen to endorse the notion that the President was fully aware of the intelligence briefs. This put the President on the spot and also gives Cord the ammunition to discredit him and the government," a government source said.
According to Section 10(3) of the National Intelligence Service Act, the President has to form a tribunal before the removal of an NIS Director General.
The law however allows for the DG to be redeployed within the Public Service if they were working in the service before their appointment.
According to the leaked American cables, Wikileaks, in 2006, the then US ambassador William Bellamy had expressed concerns over the appointment of Gichangi as the NIS boss.
"Post has let State House know privately that, though this was purely a sovereign decision for Kenya to make, the choice of Gichangi, and the manner of his appointment, puts at risk continued success in our highest joint priority, counter-terrorism," Bellamy wrote.
He added that Gichangi was a poor choice because he had been opposed to joint anti-terror efforts withing government agencies.
"During his just-concluded tenure as head of the National Counter-Terrorism Center, Gichangi fought tooth and nail against the creation of a Joint Terrorism Task Force designed to bring police, prosecutors and intelligence experts into a joint team. Relatively new to NSIS, Gichangi is as well-known for being a political operator as he is a military professional," Bellamy said.
Sources within State House have revealed that last week's appointment of Joseph Kinyua as the Head of Public Service and Chief of Staff is part of the likely security reforms.
Insiders say that Kinyua may take over from Secretary to the Cabinet as the chairperson of the National Security Advisory Committee which receives regular intelligence briefs.
According to sources, Uhuru has shifted his power base to State House, effectively vacating the office of the president based at Harambee House
"The President will not be going to Harambee House and all government operations will be based at State House. Harambee House has been left to the Ministry of Devolution and Planning," a source said.
The President is said to see Kinyua as a more trusted ally in handling government operations especially with the ongoing tricals of him and his Deputy President William Ruto.
Already the ICC judges have staggered their cases but it is the shuttling to and from the country in line with their physical presence that has led to the delegation of trust and power to Kinyua.
In a presidential system, the chief of staff is seen as the closest to power and has the prievelege of exercising Presidential authority as directed by the President.
Based at State House, Kinyua will also have ministries and parastatals directly reporting to him, making him one of the most powerful people in government.
The President also made adjustments to government communication where the Presidential Strategic Communication Unit will be in charge of all government communication.
This is said to have been necessitated by what the President and his deputy see as poor flow of information to the public during the Westgate attack.
This means that even Cabinet Secretaries will make communication that has been approved by the PSCU director Manoah Esipisu, who is the State House and Government Spokesman.
Manoah is being deputised by David Mugonyi who is the spokesman in Ruto's office and those under them will now be senior directors as there will be communication directors in all ministries .
Munyori Buku is now the a PSCU senior director in charge of all government communication and all communication directors from ministries will report to him.
And avoid conflict of flow in government communication, Dennis Itumbi will now be in charge of all digital networks within government with ministerial directors reporting to him.
Emmanuel Talaam who works for Ruto press service will now be in charge of coordinating grassroot communication and the Kenya New Agency systems will report to him.
The President has also confirmed Abdikadir Mohammed as the the Chief advisor for Constitutional and Devolution matters.
Nancy Gitau if the Chief Political Advisor and Joshua Kutuny who was recently appointed a political advisor will be reporting to her.
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