Day of drama: Tuju resurfaces as police swarm Karen home

Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju resurfaced on Monday at his Karen residence, dispelling earlier reports that he had been abducted and instead claiming he had gone into hiding after days of what he said was suspicious surveillance.

But even as he narrated his ordeal, events quickly spiralled into fresh drama, raising new questions about the conduct of law enforcement.   

Tuju, who had been reported missing since Saturday evening, appeared before the press flanked by opposition leaders and his legal team, offering a detailed account of why he chose to disappear.

His re-emergence came barely a day after his family, lawyers and political allies had raised alarm over what they said was a possible abduction, following the discovery of his abandoned vehicle and his sudden loss of contact.

According to Tuju, his decision to go into hiding was triggered by a persistent trailing by a suspicious vehicle in the days leading up to his disappearance.

The ordeal, Tuju said, began on Friday when he noticed he was being followed after leaving a petrol station in Karen. Sensing danger, he reported the matter at Karen Police Station under an Occurrence Book (OB) entry dated March 21, 2026.

“Because it is easy to tell when you are being followed. You slow down, they slow down. You overtake, they try to overtake,” he said.

However, according to Tuju, events took a more alarming turn the following day. On Saturday evening, as he prepared to attend a scheduled interview at Ramogi radio, he encountered the same vehicle again, but this time without number plates.

He said this made him very worried, and linked the incident to prior encounters with police vehicles around his residence, some of which he claimed also lacked registration plates.

Trailing vehicle

Driving himself with his aide seated beside him, Tuju recounted how the vehicle trailed him closely until he reached the Karen roundabout. Fearing he was being cornered, he diverted onto Nandi Road, using his familiarity with the area to evade pursuit.

“They were not able to branch into Nandi Road. That is how I lost them,” he said.

Tuju said that he then abandoned his vehicle and went into hiding.

Tuju revealed that he sought refuge at a private home near the Nairobi-Kiambu boundary, where he remained until shortly after midnight on Sunday.

“I want to thank a family that sheltered me. They didn’t care what my tribe is. They just saw me as a human being,” he said.

His reappearance might have resolved one mystery about his whereabouts, but it quickly gave rise to another.

Shortly after the press briefing, police officers arrived at Tuju’s Karen residence and blocked the main gate using a Land Cruiser and a Subaru. Their intention, they said, was to escort Tuju to the police station to record a statement.

What followed was a tense standoff.

Tuju’s lawyers and political allies demanded clarity on whether he was under arrest or merely being summoned to record a statement.

They insisted that if it was the latter, Tuju should be allowed to proceed voluntarily in his own arrangement.

The officers, however, refused to leave without taking him in their vehicle.

The situation escalated until a senior officer declared that Tuju was under arrest, a claim that was immediately resisted by the opposition leaders and lawyers present, who demanded that due process be followed.

Eventually, Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka intervened and drove Tuju to Karen Police Station, accompanied by a police officer.

But the drama did not end there. Upon arrival at the station, Tuju was allegedly forcefully removed from the vehicle and an attempt was made to bundle him into a Subaru. His lawyers protested, saying the move was unlawful and unnecessary.

In the scuffle that ensued, Tuju is said to have sustained injuries, particularly to his back, an area previously affected by a serious road accident.

“They got hold of him and pushed him into the car. He has been hurt. Even if it is an arrest, it must be humane,” said Ndegwa Njiru, an advocate.

Ndegwa further accused the police of procedural violations, claiming that Tuju had not been formally booked in the Occurrence Book (OB) and that no clear reason for his arrest had been communicated.

“We have demanded that we cannot leave until an OB entry is done. Up to now, they have not told us the reason for his arrest. That was not an arrest. They were trying to abduct him inside a police station,” said Njiru.

Videos circulating from inside the station appeared to show Tuju seated and visibly in pain, backing the claims by his legal team that he had been injured during the confrontation.

Kalonzo, who had earlier accompanied him, raised concerns about alleged abductions.

“I have absolutely no reason not to believe what Tuju has said. The truth of the matter is, there is an abduction squad in town,” said Kalonzo.

His disappearance had sparked anxiety. On Sunday, his family, through advocate Paul Nyamodi, confirmed that Tuju had failed to show up for a scheduled interview at Ramogi FM.

His son had later been called by police to identify a maroon Toyota Prado found abandoned at Miotoni Lane, which is the same vehicle Tuju now admits he left behind while evading what he believed to be a threat.

Lawyers and his family had by then raised alarm, pointing to recent tensions surrounding Tuju’s contested property in Karen and his dispute with the East African Development Bank (EADB).

His legal team had urged authorities to act swiftly, stating that his life could be in danger.

At the time, advocate PLO Lumumba had cautioned against speculation but stated that Tuju’s safety must be guaranteed, noting that his property had recently been under heavy police presence following a contentious eviction dispute.

“I consider myself just blessed. Because I know there are Kenyans in unmarked graves. Kenyans are being slaughtered like chickens. They have absolutely no protection,” said Tuju.

He further questioned the safety of police stations themselves, citing cases where individuals had allegedly been abducted near or within the facilities.

“You may ask why I didn’t go to a police station. But if the police themselves have been to my place without number plates, how do you go report?” he said.