The disappearance of former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju has set off a widening investigation in Nairobi, with detectives pressing for access to his home as questions mount over his last known movements.
Mr. Tuju, a veteran politician and businessman, has not been seen since Saturday. His family reported him missing the following day at Karen Police Station, prompting the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to open an inquiry.
According to relatives, he had left for a scheduled radio interview, accompanied by his driver. Neither has been heard from since.
Hours later, his vehicle was found abandoned along Miotoni Lane in Karen. The hazard lights were still flashing.
“A security guard from a nearby institution alerted authorities,” the DCI said in a statement, describing what it called a “swift response” from officers at Karen Police Station.
The agency has appealed for calm, while urging the family and the public to assist with information that could help trace his whereabouts.
But investigators say their work has been slowed. Detectives have sought entry to Mr. Tuju’s residence on Mwitu Drive, a request that, they say, was declined by family members.
“We urge full cooperation from all parties, including unrestricted access to relevant locations,” the DCI said on Sunday evening. “This will allow for a swift and thorough resolution.”
Family members have not publicly explained their decision.
The case has drawn attention not only because of Mr. Tuju’s public profile, but also due to the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
Detectives are now asking anyone who may have seen Mr Tuju, his vehicle, or any unusual activity in the Karen area around March 21 to come forward. Information can be shared confidentially through official DCI channels.
At the time he went missing, Mr Tuju was embroiled in a long-running legal dispute over the ownership of Dari Business Park, a high-value property in Karen.
The case centres on a loan taken in 2015 from the East African Development Bank. Court filings indicate that the original sum has grown significantly over time due to accumulated interest, with the total now running into billions of shillings.
The contested assets include several prominent properties in the area, among them a wellness sanctuary and commercial developments linked to the disputed land.
Just days before his disappearance, Mr Tuju had written to the Inspector General of Police, protesting what he described as an unlawful occupation of the business park by security officers.
In the letter, he alleged that more than 100 police officers entered the premises in the early hours of March 13 without a court order and remained stationed there for days.
The police have not publicly responded to those claims.
For now, investigators are treating the disappearance as an active and evolving case. Whether it is linked to the ongoing legal dispute, or to other factors, remains unclear.
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