Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju, who sparked nationwide concern after being reported missing on Sunday, March 22, has resurfaced, shedding light on a harrowing ordeal he says involved being trailed by suspicious unmarked vehicles.
Speaking to the press on Monday, March 23, Tuju recounted that he abandoned his vehicle in a bid to protect his life after realizing he was being followed. The incident began on Friday evening, when a vehicle started tailing him, prompting him to report the matter at Karen Police Station.
“The following day, while heading for a radio interview, the same vehicle reappeared—this time without number plates,” Tuju said. “Having experienced how close to 20 police Land Rovers came to my home, some without plates, I got worried for my life.”
Tuju, accompanied by his aide, said he relied on his intimate knowledge of Karen to evade the vehicle, eventually abandoning his car on Nandi Road after losing the pursuers. He then sought refuge in a private home near the Nairobi–Kiambu border.
“I couldn’t go to a police station because I feared the perpetrators were from the security agencies,” Tuju explained. “I want to thank Kenyans and the family that sheltered me—they didn’t care about my tribe, they just saw a human being in need.”
The former Jubilee Secretary General described the ordeal as traumatic for both his family and the wider public. “My family is very traumatised, and Kenyans of goodwill are traumatised. I consider myself blessed because I know there are Kenyans in unmarked graves,” he said.
Tuju’s disappearance had triggered widespread alarm and speculation, with some politicians claiming he had been abducted. Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, speaking after Tuju’s return, expressed full confidence in his account. “I have absolutely no reason to doubt Tuju’s word,” Musyoka said, emphasizing the opposition’s commitment to fighting abductions in the country.
The episode underscores rising concerns about personal security for public figures, sparking debate on the conduct of security agencies and the safety of citizens in Nairobi and beyond.