- Haji said he will ensure the NIS recruitment manual will be reviewed to ensure more women join the service.
- He also promised to build capacity of intelligence officers to be able to embrace both human and technical intelligence.
Image: FILE
Noordin Haji, the country's next spymaster, if approved by Parliament, has vowed to turn around the recruitment model at the National Intelligence Service.
Haji, the outgoing Director of Public Prosecutions, said he will prioritise merit in the hiring of NIS officers while ensuring the country's diversity.
In a document he submitted to the National Assembly Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committee, during his approval hearings on Tuesday, Haji also promised to ensure the agency is gender sensitive.
He said that under his plan at NIS, he will ensure that he breaks barriers that have barred more women from joining the service for decades.
"I also intend to ensure gender mainstreaming in a profession which has been male-dominated and to ensure that the organization is reflective of the socio-cultural diversity of Kenya," he told the committee at Parliament Buildings.
The current DPP said the gender mainstreaming strategy will be key in enhancing the agency's capability to collect intelligence across the entire social strata.
At the same time, Haji emphasised that one of the key pillars of his vision at NIS would be embracing human intelligence(HUMINT) as the fundamental driver of intelligence capabilities.
"NIS must centre the intelligence gathering process around HUMINT while utilizing technical capabilities in a supportive capacity," he said.
Haji said the strategy will recognise the importance of technical intelligence while reinstating the pivotal role of HUMINT.
He said, under his leadership, NIS will leverage the synergies between HUMINT and technical intelligence for optimal results.
"This HUMINT -technology parity depends on our human resource being the best at its game," he said.
"Getting the right talent is critical to meeting future challenges which will be posed by technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning."
The outgoing DPP said the strategy will be focused on refining NIS recruitment, training, specialization and retention systems.
The committee is expected to table its report in the National Assembly next week when the house resumes sittings after a long recess.
Haji's nomination is expected to easily sail through the house given that President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza enjoys a significant majority.