President William Ruto, on Tuesday, March 24, addressed the fiasco surrounding former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju’s disappearance.
Speaking during his tour of Migori County, Ruto claimed that Tuju’s friends lied to him to allegedly stage his abduction.
He stated that Tuju’s friends would benefit from the former CS’s perceived abduction, gaining political clout and positive publicity.
The Head of State argued that Tuju needed friends to help him get out of the rabbit hole he was in, with auctioneers going after his property.
“They lied to him. They asked him to go and hide in his bedroom, then claim that he was abducted. Tuju needs honest friends. He needs honest advice and help, not scavengers who are trying to milk the misfortunes of citizens,” Ruto stated.
The President stated that Tuju needed counsel on how to recover his property. He further called out leaders trying to rope in retired President Uhuru Kenyatta into the saga.
“He needs advice so that he can be helped to save his property. Not conmen who have even invoked Uhuru Kenyatta’s name in their drama,” he stated.
Ruto made the statement amid concerns that the Tuju saga would eat into his support from the Nyanza region.
Tuju resurfaced on Monday after going missing for two days. Upon his resurfacing, he claimed that he had gone into hiding for fear of his life after he was trailed by an unmarked vehicle.
However, the DCI poured cold water on the former CS’s claims, stating that he had been at his Karen residence during the entire time he was reported missing.
DCI Boss Mohammed Amin stated that Tuju was arrested and would be arraigned in court for staging his abduction to soil the reputation of the law enforcement agencies.
A charge sheet shared by Lawyer Ndegwa Njiru indicates that the DCI charged Tuju with giving false information to a person employed in public service, contrary to Section 129(a) of the Penal Code.
