Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju is missing following a suspected abduction, days after his dramatic eviction from a multi-million shilling Karen property that is at the centre of a long-running debt dispute.
Tuju was allegedly abducted alongside his aide, Ugenya politician Steve Mwanga, on Saturday night in Karen.
By Sunday morning, his vehicle had been found abandoned along Miotoni Lane, deepening fears over his safety and whereabouts.
Addressing the media in Karen on Sunday, Tuju’s lawyers—Paul Nyamodi, PLO Lumumba and Evans Ogada—said the former Jubilee Secretary General’s whereabouts remained unknown after he failed to attend a scheduled radio interview on Ramogi FM at 7pm.
According to Nyamodi, events took a worrying turn when police contacted Tuju’s son, Mano, seeking assistance to identify a vehicle recovered in Karen.
“Karen OCS contacted Tuju’s son Mano while in church informing him to identify the vehicle,” Nyamodi said.
The car was confirmed to belong to Tuju, but neither he nor his driver, Steve Mwanga, was present at the scene.
The two are believed to have been the only occupants of the vehicle at the time.
Nyamodi urged authorities to treat the matter with urgency, noting that Tuju’s disappearance comes in the wake of recent dramatic events at his business premises.
“It is difficult to ignore the possibility that the events of the past week may be connected,” he said, while cautioning against speculation as investigations continue.
His legal team emphasised that the immediate priority is to establish his whereabouts.
“We urge the authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure that Mr. Tuju is found and reunited with his family as soon as possible,” Nyamodi said.
Lumumba cautioned against premature conclusions.
“We urge restraint and ask that we all focus strictly on the confirmed facts,” he said.
Tuju’s disappearance comes against the backdrop of a bitter legal battle with the East African Development Bank (EADB) over a loan that has ballooned from about Sh900 million to as high as Sh4.5 billion.
The dispute centres on Dari Limited, a company associated with Tuju, and its assets, including Dari Business Park.
Last week, he was forcibly evicted from the property in what he describes as a calculated plot to dispossess him of his stake.
The bank, however, maintains it acted within its mandate to recover a defaulted loan.
The eviction, reportedly carried out amid heavy police presence, has sparked political concern, particularly in Nyanza, where Tuju has strong ties.
The new development also coincided with President William Ruto’s tour of the region, further amplifying political undertones.
A section of leaders have alleged a coordinated attempt to push Tuju out of his businesses, pointing to what they describe as unusual and excessive police involvement.
Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o last week condemned the eviction, warning against the use of state power in what he described as a commercial dispute.
“The resort to nocturnal operations and coercive displays of state power in matters of a civil nature invites legitimate public concern. One must ask, under what legal provision are such actions justified?” he wondered.
Tuju himself had struck a defiant tone prior to his disappearance, vowing that he would not surrender his property.
“If they want to evict me, they will have to kill me first,” he vowed.
His son Mano said it was unusual for him to switch off his phone.
According to the family, Tuju had earlier reported being trailed by a white Land Cruiser without number plates, raising concerns about his safety even before the alleged abduction.
Police say both the alleged abduction and earlier reports of him being followed are under investigation.
In a letter addressed to Inspector General Douglas Kanja, Tuju had claimed the National Police Service had unlawfully occupied Dari Business Park.
He claimed that more than 100 police officers staged a late-night raid at around 2:40 a.m. on March 13, 2026, without a court order or any formal documentation, and proceeded to lock out tenants.
According to Tuju, the officers arrived in multiple vehicles and remained stationed at the premises for days, disrupting normal business operations.
Despite repeated inquiries, he said, officers on site neither offered written nor verbal explanations for their continued presence, instead saying they were “waiting for instructions from above.”
Tuju further alleged that some of the police vehicles involved in the operation had their number plates removed, while several officers wore balaclavas to conceal their identities.
He said he had video and photographic evidence to support these claims and was ready to submit it to the relevant authorities.
Describing the raid as an “arrogant display of impunity,” Tuju questioned why such a large contingent of armed officers would be deployed without clear legal backing.
In one of the more troubling aspects of his letter, he pointed to what he termed as “ethnicisation” within the police service.
He alleged that some officers appeared to coordinate with individuals linked to a private security firm and communicated in the Kalenjin language during the operation.
According to Tuju, this created visible tension among officers from different communities, with some allegedly expressing discomfort and describing the operation as being driven along ethnic lines.
He warned that such divisions within the police could pose a serious threat to national cohesion and security if left unaddressed.
He also claimed that some officers involved in the operation appeared to be under the influence of intoxicating substances, raising concerns about the safety of both civilians and police personnel present during the standoff.
Tuju recounted a tense situation on the first night of the raid, noting that the presence of armed officers, combined with internal discord, nearly escalated into a volatile confrontation. He said he attempted to defuse the situation by engaging some officers in conversation.
The prolonged police presence has had a significant economic impact on businesses operating within Dari Business Park. Tuju said at least 24 tenants have been affected, including the well-known Tamarind Restaurant.
Professionals such as lawyers, he added, have been unable to access critical files, computers and other equipment from their offices. Requests for supervised access to retrieve essential items have allegedly been denied or ignored by officers on site.
Tuju argued that innocent tenants are bearing the brunt of the standoff, suffering financial losses despite having no direct involvement in the underlying dispute.
In his appeal to IG Kanja, he called for immediate intervention to restore normalcy at the business park and to ensure that affected tenants can access their premises under police supervision.
He also urged police leadership to launch an internal investigation into the operation, particularly the alleged lack of legal authorisation, misconduct by officers and claims of ethnic bias within the ranks.
Mwanga, who was reportedly abducted alongside Tuju, has long been a close associate.
During Tuju’s tenure as chairman of the Lake Basin Development Authority, Mwanga served as one of the directors.
The two later reunited in Jubilee Party, where Tuju was Secretary General and Mwanga served as Regional Director in charge of the East African Legislative Assembly.
While the motive behind Tuju’s disappearance remains unclear, the timing—coming just days after his eviction and amid claims of a plot to dispossess him—has raised serious questions.
By the time of publication, the National Police Service had not issued an official response to the allegations raised by Tuju, nor provided a comprehensive account of the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
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