By Andrew Kariuki
Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju has reportedly been detained by police shortly after resurfacing from a brief period during which his whereabouts were unknown.
His arrest was confirmed by lawyer Ndegwa Njiru, who said Tuju was taken into custody moments after addressing the press to explain his disappearance over the past 36 hours.
According to Njiru, the former CS was in a fragile state at the time, raising concerns about his health even as authorities moved to take him to Karen police station to record a statement.
Opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka also confirmed the incident, criticising the manner in which Tuju was handled by security officers.
“Hours ago, police and DCI officers surrounded and barricaded Hon. Raphael Tuju’s home, refusing to let anyone leave until they had him,” Kalonzo said in a statement shared on social media.
He added that he personally drove Tuju to Karen Police Station to record a statement, describing the move as being in good faith and in line with due process.
“I personally drove him to Karen Police Station to record a statement in good faith, in the spirit of due process. What followed was unacceptable. Hon. Tuju was carried away in a manner that no Kenyan, indeed no human being, should ever experience,” he said.
By today afternoon, tension had escalated at Karen Police Station, where members of Tuju’s legal team raised alarm over his treatment.
“They want to abduct him. Mark that vehicle. The manner in which they took him was unacceptable,” Njiru was heard saying outside the station.
The incident comes just hours after Tuju resurfaced and claimed he had gone into hiding after suspecting he was being followed by unmarked vehicles.
Authorities had not issued an official statement on the circumstances of his detention by the time of publication.
