Tuju: My family is traumatised, I am lucky compared to those in unmarked graves
By Aloys Michael, March 23, 2026Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju has opened up about the deep emotional trauma that was caused in his family following his disappearance.
Tuju, who resurfaced on Monday, March 23, 2026, said he considers himself blessed to be alive under the circumstances, prompting the detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to launch the probe into the matter.
The family reported him missing at the Karen Police Station on Sunday, March 22, 2026, after efforts to reach him through his mobile phone, which had been switched off, were unsuccessful.
“My family is traumatised, and I consider myself lucky because there are many Kenyans with unmarked graves,” he narrated.
Amid speculation about his disappearance, Tuju has clarified that he was forced into hiding after noticing a Land Cruiser without plate numbers following him.
“I was being followed because it is easy to know when you are being followed. After that, I reported to Karen police station,” he said.
He said when he reached Karen roundabout, the vehicle closed him, forcing him to branch into Nandi Road and lost the.
“I went into some roads in Karen, and since I had already reported the incident, I abandoned the vehicle,” Tuju said.
However, Tuju said he did not report to the police station after losing trust in the service, citing cases of Kenyans who have been abducted and never found alive, and those who also died mysteriously at police stations.
“ I know there many Kenyans who have died in the hands of the police after they were abducted. Ojwang was killed, and Kenyans are being slaughtered like chickens,” he said.
“Gaitho was abducted in front of a police station where he thought he was going to seek security.”
Escaping an abduction?
According to Tuju, a suspicious vehicle began trailing him on Friday, March 20, 2026, evening, prompting him to drive to Karen Police Station to report the matter.
However, the following day, the same vehicle resumed trailing him while going for a radio interview, this time without number plates.
Tuju, who was driving with his aide, took advantage of his familiarity with the Karen area to evade the vehicle before abandoning his car, fearing for his life.
“On Saturday evening, I was supposed to go for a radio interview and then again the same vehicle, a land cruiser, and this time a little bit more concerning, the vehicle didn’t have number plates, and having experienced how close to 20 police land rovers came to my place and some of the did not have number plates, I get worried,” Tuju said.
“I had my aide by my side, and because I know Karen well and they were closing in, I branched to Nandi Road, where they were unable to reach because of the road structure, and that is how I lost them and decided, since I was being followed and I had reported the incident to the police I abandoned the vehicle there.”