Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju's defence team outside the Kibera Law Courts wait for his arraignment on March 24, 2026. /LEAH MUKANGAI

Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju on Tuesday moved to the High Court seeking anticipatory bail to block his arrest and continued detention by police.

Tuju was dramatically arrested on Monday evening at his home in Karen, Nairobi, where he resurfaced more than 36 hours after his family reported him missing in an alleged abduction.

He later dismissed the abduction claims, saying he had gone into hiding on Saturday evening after noticing an unmarked vehicle trailing him.

Addressing the press, Tuju cited events of the forceful night eviction of tenants and his family from his Dari Limited property by masked officers in unmarked vehicles as the reason behind the fear for his life.

The property is at the centre of an auction dispute tied to a Sh2.2 billion bank loan.Senior Counsel Kalonzo Musyoka leads the defence team of former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju during filing of his anticipatory bail at the Kibera Law Courts, March 24, 2026. /LEAH MUKANGAI

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The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested Tuju after the press briefing for allegedly staging his own abduction and providing false information.

DCI Director Mohamed Amin said Tuju was hiding at his Karen home, not kidnapped, a "staged" incident he said misled the public and posed a security risk.

Police are seeking to charge him with providing false information to a person employed in the public service, contrary to Section 129(a) of the Penal Code.

On Tuesday, Tuju was rushed to Karen Hospital after his condition worsened while in custody at the Karen police station, following injuries sustained during his arrest.

His defence team, led by Wiper leader and senior counsel Kalonzo Musyoka, appeared at the Kibera Law Courts under a certificate of urgency to push for anticipatory bail.Lawyers Eugene Wamalwa, Kalonzo Musyoka and Ndegwa Njiru at Kibera Law Courts wait for former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju to be arraigned before court on March 24, 2026. Tuju was no show as he had been rushed to hospital. /LEAH MUKANGAI

In the application, Tuju sought orders to restrain police and other state agencies from arbitrarily summoning, arresting, detaining, or otherwise interfering with his freedom of movement.

He also asked the court to grant him anticipatory bail on reasonable terms, citing a deteriorating medical condition and continued police presence at his hospital bed.

Chief magistrate Stella Atambo ruled that she will deliver a ruling on the application on Wednesday at noon after Tuju failed to appear in court.Kibera Chief Magistrate Stella Atambo listens as Raphael Tuju's defence team argue their case seeking anticipatory bail to block his arrest, March 24, 2026. /LEAH KANGAI