It is not in doubt that Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji is fresh blood, somewhat.
A lawyer by training, Haji appears incorruptible and my guess is he is a devout Muslim who puts Allah first. Such adherents abhor anything along the lines of haram (evil).
Haji appears to be sickened by corruption. It is noteworthy that the chief hero during the 2013 Westgate nightmare when terrorists butchered innocent civilians in broad daylight is his younger brother. An armed civilian who is also well trained, Haji risked his own life to evacuate frightened children and their mums.
This is the same spirit that moves in the heart of Haji. But he has faltered in two ways and he needs to correct course fast.
First, there are too many arrests and razzmatazz. While this may not be so bad (it sends chills down the spines of corrupt individuals and social media has a new phenomenon called ‘Kamata kamata Friday’), the arrests risk painting the ODPP as one providing more style than substance, more heat than light.
One could agree that the heat around prosecution matters is a good thing as there must be no comfort for wrong doers.
But the second mistake is more dire and a major misstep. There is a dogged attempt, never before witnessed, to nail Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu. It is common knowledge the DCJ was a fearless, unwavering force in last year’s presidential dispute. None other than President Kenyatta, on emerging victorious after lots of sweat and mudslinging, vowed revenge.
That Haji is so relentless even to the extent of hiring a British Queen’s Counsel to assist him expedite this, all while the DCJ’s boss Chief Justice David Maraga can hardly say a word, tells you there is a mammoth force in the background wielding the remote control like a pistol. This is where Noordin’s credibility is at stake.
In governance, with a huge national interest in public affairs, credibility is like virginity - you only break it once!
The governance consultant spoke to the Star