Former cabinet minister Raphael Tuju has reappeared after reports circulated that he was missing, stating he was followed by an unmarked vehicle while heading to a radio interview in Nairobi.
He said he was followed by unknown people in a vehicle without number plates, days after he had already reported concerns about his security to authorities.
Tuju explained that the vehicle following him was the same one he had earlier noticed, but this time it had no visible registration plates.
“I noticed I was being followed before and reported it to the authorities. On Saturday, as I was going for an interview at Ramogi FM, I noticed the same vehicle again, only this time without number plates,” Tuju said.
Tuju said the vehicle followed him closely as he drove through the city, raising fears for his safety.
He said he altered his route after realizing the car was still behind him, more so near the Karen roundabout.
He explained that he branched into Nandi Road, an area he said he knows well, and managed to lose the vehicle.
After confirming that he was no longer being followed, Tuju said he abandoned his car as a precaution.
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Tuju did not name any individuals or group he believes may have been behind the alleged surveillance.
He mostly thanked a family that took him in and kept him safe after he was able to lose the car that was following him.
“I want to thank Kenyans, especially a family on the border of Karen and Kiambu, that were able to give me shelter. They did not care what my tribe is, they just saw me as a human being. It was till midnight that I was able to leave the place and come back home,” Tuju stated.
The former cabinet minister stated that the ordeal has seriously traumatised his family and relatives, adding that he considers himself lucky to be alive, considering the latest chaos concerning his property.
Tuju’s lack of trust
Tuju questioned how one reports a threat when, according to him, vehicles without number plates had previously gone to his residence.
“You may ask why I did not go to a police station to report. But if the police themselves have been to my place without plate numbers on their vehicles, how do you go to report?” Tuju asked.
He said he feared going to a police station could put him at greater risk, citing past incidents involving abductions that, he claimed, occurred near police facilities.
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Tuju said he spent much of the night thinking about his next step and instead reached out to people he trusted locally and internationally.
He thanked former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and several former parliamentary colleagues for reaching out to him after reports emerged that his whereabouts were unknown.
Tuju confirmed that by Monday morning, his lawyers were still in court seeking clarification after reports circulated that he was missing.
He suggested that the claims about his disappearance arose because those he believes were pursuing him failed to trace his location.
He did not directly accuse any specific individuals or institutions but said the situation had left him feeling unsafe and traumatised.
Tuju said he considers himself fortunate to be alive, especially given what he described as ongoing disputes surrounding his property, which he linked to his security concerns.
