Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has sharply criticised the National Intelligence Service (NIS), accusing it of failing to detect and prevent the infiltration of hired goons into recent anti-government protests. Speaking during a televised interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday, Matiang’i said that such failures suggest a concerning lapse in the operational effectiveness of Kenya’s top intelligence agency.
The former CS, who oversaw the country’s internal security architecture for several years, said it is inconceivable that a body with the tools, mandate, and capacity of the NIS would fail to track suspicious mobilisations and avert violence.
“You know, the way the National Intelligence Service works, I can’t drive with guns from Kisii to Nairobi in my car or have people bringing guns to me, and the NIS does not know,” Matiang’i remarked.
“It’s their responsibility to know that the way this fellow is behaving, he normally has night meetings with people, and he’s recruiting goons.”
Matiang’i said the agency is equipped with advanced surveillance and communication-monitoring systems that should allow it to detect such threats early enough to prevent public disorder.
“I know for sure that the NIS listens to our phone calls. They have ways of collecting intelligence,” he said.
“If they know that somebody is recruiting goons from Roysambu to bring them to Nairobi, why wait until the goons get to Nairobi?”
Security Lapses Amid Rising Tensions
His remarks come against the backdrop of accusations from senior government officials, including Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, linking unnamed individuals to the recruitment of criminal elements to sabotage the recent Gen Z-led protests marking the anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations.
Yet, no arrests of opposition leaders or alleged financiers have been made, fuelling speculation about the authenticity and motives behind the allegations.
Matiang’i questioned the sincerity of these claims, suggesting that state agencies have the means to investigate and act but are instead engaging in public posturing.
“What I find very interesting is that allegations are being made by public officials, yet they’re the custodians of information because they’re the ones who have the instruments of power and the capacity to find out who is doing what.”
Political Undertones: Gachagua, Murkomen, and the Blame Game
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua also weighed in, claiming that the state itself may have facilitated the infiltration of goons to discredit the youth-led demonstrations.
“We have seen the CS for Interior pretentiously visiting shops that were looted by state-sponsored goons in an attempt to hide his guilt,” Gachagua said.
“Your police allowed goons into town at their expense to go and cause mayhem and place the blame on the Gen Zs.”
Murkomen had earlier alleged that the government had foiled a regime change plot during the protests, blaming external political actors and unnamed opposition leaders for inciting unrest.
Protest Disruptions and Escalating Questions
The June 25 anniversary protests—held to mark one year since the deadly 2024 demonstrations—were largely peaceful in several towns but were marred by isolated incidents of looting, vandalism, and violent confrontations with police in parts of Nairobi and Nyandarua.
In Olkalou, for instance, 26 county government vehicles and 18 motorbikes were set ablaze, while businesses in some city estates suffered looting and destruction.
With public confidence in state security agencies already shaken by the lack of accountability over protest-related killings in 2024, Matiang’i’s comments have reignited debate about whether intelligence and law enforcement institutions are serving the public interest—or political agendas.
Analysts say that if the NIS indeed had prior knowledge of criminal elements being mobilised, it raises critical questions about why no preemptive action was taken and who benefits from such inaction.
Matiang’i, who previously worked closely with the NIS during his tenure, urged the government to act decisively and transparently rather than resorting to blame games.
“If they have the information, then they should go forward and act. Intelligence is only useful if it informs action. Otherwise, it’s just noise.”
