For Noordin Haji, this is a case of being smart.
He is going back to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) as the Director General.
President William Ruto Tuesday, May 16 nominated the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji as the new DG for NIS.
“Consequently, it is notified that Excellency the President has, In accordance with Section 7 (1) of the National Intelligence Service Act, nominated Mr Noordin Hajl, CBS, for appointment as the Director-General of the National Intelligence Service,” Ruto said.
[inline_related_posts title=”Also Read ” title_align=”left” style=”list” number=”3″ align=”none” ids=”” by=”categories” orderby=”rand” order=”DESC” hide_thumb=”no” thumb_right=”no” views=”no” date=”yes” grid_columns=”2″ post_type=”” tax=””]
As a DPP he made friends and enemies in similar way at the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Some of them are in government and out. He also gained both praise and ridicule as a DPP for the five years he has served.
Among those he took to court following the recommendation of the investigation agencies was the current Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa.
Haji returns to the NIS where he served up to 2018 as the Deputy Director of the Counter Organised Crime Unit before being named as the DPP.
He had three more to serve at ODPP up to 2026.
The law says the Director of Public Prosecutions shall hold office for a term of eight years and shall not be eligible for re-appointment.
He had risen through the ranks to reach the position.
Haji was born on July 3, 1973.
Noordin Haji Family
The DPP had a privileged upbringing thanks to his father Mohamed Yusuf Haji who was the Garissa Senator.
The senior Haji was Kenya’s Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2013 and doubled as Minister of Internal Security and Provincial Affairs in 2012 in an acting capacity.
Yusuf served as a public administrator in the 70s and late 90s before he plunged into politics.
Noordin’s mother was a teacher. His brother Abdul is the senator for Garissa, a seat he inherited from his father and defended it in 2022 polls.
The senior Haji had ones said he feared for his son’s life given that his appointment as DPP would come with many enemies.
The DPP is married and has children although he has kept them out of the public limelight.
Noordin Haji Education
After completing primary school, Haji joined Kabarak High School for his secondary studies and then went to Greensteds International School in Nakuru.
Haji holds an LLM and LLB from the University of Wales and Cardiff.
He has an MNSPO (Masters’s degree in National Security Policy) with merit from Australian National University.
He also holds a post-graduate diploma from the Kenya School of law.
Noordin Haji Career
His first job in the Public Service was as a State Counsel at the Attorney General Office in 2000.
His career has been shaped up in the Attorney General’s office, where he worked for many years as a deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
His responsibilities included providing legal counsel to the police, the Director of Criminal Investigations, the Director-General NIS, and other Non-Law enforcement agencies.
After undergoing thorough scrutiny by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and vetting by the National Assembly, he was seen fit to hold the position of the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) in 2018 after his nomination by former president Uhuru Kenyatta.
Haji was then appointed later by the President of the Republic of Kenya as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in March 2018.
He has worked tirelessly to improve coordination and enhance inter-agency collaboration in fighting crime.
Haji has also enabled the ODPP to gain notoriety through various reforms he introduced.
He introduced and supported the electronic filing system in the ODPP which has enhanced service delivery at large.
He also established a new academy for the ODPP. Many say the new comer to the office will have do much to reach where he had reached.
“He believed in integrity. He never compromised,” said an insider at ODPP.
