DPP Noordin Haji declines to reveal his net worth, says it’s a ‘national security issue’

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji, who was recently nominated by President William Ruto to take up the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General post, on Tuesday stirred murmurs in Parliament during his vetting for the position when he declined to reveal his net worth.

Haji, appearing before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, stated that his net worth could become a matter of “national security” in the near future if he succeeds in getting the job, hence he would rather not disclose it publicly.

When he was pressed by the committee Chairman Nelson Koech to state his wealth for the purposes of having it on the record, the DPP instead requested to be allowed to present a summation of his financial income to just the committee alone.

“I’m being guided by the Legal Counsel that you need to say your future source of income on record,” pressed Koech, who is the Belgut Member of Parliament.

Haji responded: “Honourable Chair, I was going to request, considering the sensitivity of the office that I’m going to hold, that I give this to the committee...it might be a national security issue at some point.”

Kinangop MP Thuku Kwenya further took the DPP to task over a specific section of his response, which he took to imply that Haji was certain of cruising through the vetting process and assuming office as the new NIS boss.

“I’ve heard the nominee say ‘the office that I’m going to hold’...it’s as if you’re done with our business and therefore we should just show up and go,” stated Kwenya.

Haji said: “Sorry, maybe it is just an oversight, if you allow me (to hold the office). I apologise if that is how it came out.”