NIS boss reveals Kenya’s current biggest security threat
National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director General Noordin has exposed the biggest threats to Kenya’s national security and warned that the sector could be undermined if budget shortfalls persist.
Appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Defence, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence, chaired by Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech on Monday, May 12, 2025, Noordin indicated that the country was still facing security threats from Al Shabaab.
Besides Al Shabaab, Noordin indicated that the current destabilisation of some neighbouring countries could also expose Kenya to security threats. Further, Noordin disclosed before the committee that security officers were battling the proliferation of small arms, which he emphasised was a much greater danger to Kenya.
At the same time, the NIS boss detailed that the Oromo Liberation Army, an armed opposition group active in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia, was setting foot in Kenya.
“People in Kenya do not seem to understand that apart from Al Shabaab, we have more than five other countries that have been destabilised and those threats are not going to go anywhere else other than in Kenya,” Haji explained.
“The proliferation of small arms, every other day, we have to face that. In Ethiopia, as you know, there is the Oromo Liberation Army. They are occupying part of our territory and we are forced to deal with them,” the NIS boss disclosed in front of the committee.
“The age of disinformation and misinformation continues to pose serious risks to national stability. It’s imperative that the government invests sufficiently in our security infrastructure,” he added.
Budget cuts
At the same time, he lamented over what he termed as poor equipment in the security sector.
Noordin Haji called on the country to bold steps and ensure the security sector is adequately funded to avert any security threat.
“But if you look at the kind of equipment that we have as a security sector, it is really wanting. I think as a country, we need to decide whether we are serious and whether we want to ensure that we are giving the security that Kenyans deserve,” Haji reiterated.
“Our national security organs must be fully funded to effectively execute their constitutional mandate. Intelligence alone is not enough — frontline agencies also need capacity to act swiftly.”
Noordin informed the Nelson Koech-led committee that NIS had been allocated Ksh51 billion in the 2024/2025 financial year, Ksh14 billion less than the Ksh65 billion it requested.
Earlier, the Principal Secretary for Defence, Patrick Mariru, and the Vice Chief of Defence Forces, Mugaravai Omenda, appeared before the committee, where they outlined their ministry’s priorities, citing the need to modernise equipment, strengthen border security, and boost troop welfare.
