March 22, 2026
The mysterious disappearance of former Cabinet Secretary and Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju has sent shockwaves through the country. Tuju, along with his driver Steve Mwanga, vanished on Saturday afternoon under circumstances pointing to a suspected abduction. With his vehicle discovered abandoned in the affluent Karen neighborhood of Nairobi, the chilling incident unfolds against the backdrop of a highly publicized, multi-billion-shilling property dispute. As police launch an investigation and top legal minds demand answers, the nation is left grappling with the urgent question: Who took Raphael Tuju, and why?
A High-Stakes Context
Raphael Tuju is no stranger to the limelight. A veteran politician who transitioned from a prominent television anchor to a formidable Cabinet Secretary without portfolio, Tuju has long been a central figure in Kenyan politics. However, in recent weeks, he has dominated headlines not for political maneuvering, but for a bruising legal battle over his prime real estate in Karen.At the heart of the conflict is a loan dispute with the East African Development Bank (EADB) concerning his prized properties, including Dari Business Park and Entim Sidai Wellness Sanctuary. The dispute reached a boiling point on March 13, 2026, when over 100 heavily armed police officers—some reportedly wearing balaclavas and driving unmarked vehicles—stormed Dari Business Park in a pre-dawn raid. Tuju alleged that the officers unlawfully occupied the premises without a court order, locking out tenants and paralyzing operations. Just days before his disappearance, Tuju wrote to the Inspector General of Police, decrying the raid as an "arrogant display of impunity" and claiming that powerful individuals were orchestrating his downfall to seize his land.
A Chilling Timeline of Events
The timeline leading up to Tuju’s disappearance paints a deeply unsettling picture. According to his legal representatives, the former CS filed a formal police report on Saturday morning, stating that he had been aggressively trailed the previous day by a white, unmarked Toyota Land Cruiser 70-series.Hours later, Tuju and his driver, Steve Mwanga, completely dropped off the radar. Tuju was scheduled to appear for an evening political interview on Ramogi FM at 7:00 PM on Saturday, but he never arrived. His mobile phones were switched off—an occurrence his family described as highly unusual and immediately concerning.
The alarm was officially raised on Sunday morning when Tuju’s son, Mano Tuju, received a phone call from the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Karen Police Station. Authorities informed Mano that his father’s vehicle had been discovered abandoned along Miotoni Lane in Karen. Chillingly, the car was left on the side of the road with the ignition keys still inside.
Investigation Status
Following the discovery of the vehicle, Tuju’s family filed a missing person report at the Karen Police Station, officially booked under OB number 17/22/03/2026. Police have towed the abandoned vehicle to the station for forensic examination and confirmed that investigations are currently underway into both his disappearance and his prior complaints of being trailed.Tuju’s formidable legal team—comprising prominent lawyers Paul Nyamodi, Evans Ogada, and Prof. PLO Lumumba—convened an urgent press briefing at Entim Sidai on Sunday. They confirmed the filing of the missing person report and intensified pressure on the authorities to produce the former minister. “We are deeply concerned for his safety,” the lawyers stated, urging the police to act with immediate haste and transparency.
Public and Political Reaction
The news of Tuju’s suspected abduction has ignited a firestorm of public and political reaction, trending rapidly across social media platforms as citizens express their outrage and fear over a perceived normalization of extrajudicial kidnappings.Prominent political figures have not minced their words. During a church service on Sunday, Siaya Governor James Orengo confirmed the incident to congregants, explicitly labeling it a kidnapping. “I want to inform you that our brother Tuju has been kidnapped... Let us pray for him because he has gone through a lot,” Orengo announced. He later characterized Tuju as a "victim of ferocious capitalism and a bloody cabal."
Echoing this sentiment, Saboti MP Caleb Amisi issued a stringent demand to the government, declaring on social media that authorities must present the former CS "alive or dead," adding that Kenyans are entirely fatigued by the recent wave of abductions. Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka also weighed in, revealing that Tuju had confided in him just days prior regarding suspicious irregularities with his property title.
A Deepening Mystery
As hours stretch into days, the mystery surrounding Raphael Tuju’s whereabouts deepens. While police have yet to issue a conclusive statement on the motive behind the disappearance, the timing—sandwiched between violent property evictions and his vocal complaints of being trailed—is impossible to ignore.Legal experts and political analysts suggest that if the abduction is indeed linked to the commercial dispute over the Karen properties, it represents a terrifying escalation where civil matters are resolved through brute force and intimidation. Whether orchestrated by financial adversaries, political foes, or the shadowy figures Tuju accused of coveting his land, the burden now lies heavily on the Kenyan security apparatus. The safe return of Raphael Tuju and Steve Mwanga is no longer just a missing-person case; it is a critical litmus test for the rule of law and citizens' safety.
