NAIROBI, Kenya — The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has declared that the alleged abduction of former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju was a staged and self-orchestrated incident, following days of investigations.
In a detailed statement released on Friday, April 3, the agency said evidence gathered from CCTV footage, witness accounts, and forensic analysis contradicted earlier claims that Tuju had been abducted or trailed by suspicious vehicles.
“After a thorough and meticulous inquiry, investigators have established beyond doubt that the alleged disappearance and abduction… was in fact a staged and self-orchestrated incident,” the DCI said.
CCTV timeline raises doubts
According to investigators, Tuju’s vehicle movements on March 21 showed a coordinated sequence involving another car, a white Toyota Probox, which detectives believe had been pre-arranged.
CCTV footage reportedly captured the two vehicles interacting, separating, and later converging along roads in Karen before stopping at Miotoni Lane.
Moments later, several individuals exited Tuju’s car and boarded the Probox, which then drove off—an action detectives say points to a planned operation rather than an abduction.
‘Carefully planned scheme’
The DCI further stated that the incident appeared to have been deliberately choreographed to create the illusion of a disappearance and mislead both law enforcement and the public.
Investigators also dismissed claims that Tuju had been followed by unmarked vehicles, saying there was no evidence to support those allegations.
Persons of interest identified
Detectives have since identified several individuals believed to have played roles in coordinating the alleged staged disappearance and say they are pursuing them as persons of interest.
The agency warned that legal action could be taken against anyone found to have participated in the scheme, emphasizing that attempts to mislead authorities would not derail the course of justice.
Tuju had earlier claimed he was being trailed by suspicious vehicles and feared for his safety, prompting a missing person report to be filed at Karen Police Station.
However, the DCI now maintains that the evidence paints a different picture—one of a premeditated and coordinated event rather than a criminal abduction.
Investigations are ongoing.
