Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has revealed fresh details regarding the alleged disappearance of former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju.
Speaking on Monday, March 23, Murkomen warned against what he termed as ''theatrics" that could mislead the public and undermine national stability.
He explained that he first learned about Tuju’s alleged disappearance while traveling back to the country, but subsequent investigations contradicted the initial claims.
"I was on a plane coming from London when I was told that Tuju had gone missing. The DCI informed me that his family was saying he had disappeared. But government investigations found that he was at his home, sleeping," he said.
Murkome stated that authorities traced Tuju’s phone activity, which indicated that he was last placed at his residence.
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'That man had switched off his phone, and the last place his phone was turned off was at his house, specifically in the bedroom," he added.
Murkomen also raised concerns about the family’s actions, claiming they had restricted police access despite reporting him missing.
"I asked the DCI why they couldn’t just go there and ask the family. He said the family had locked the gate; they had gone to the police station and reported that he was missing, but told the police not to come to the house," he continued.
Murkomen went on to describe how police were eventually instructed to intervene, leading to further developments in the case.
"So today, the Inspector General ordered the police to go there by force, because somebody cannot incite the public and cause unrest in this country in the name of abduction. When he heard that the police were at the gate, he called the media. He then gave a statement saying he had been hiding," he further said.
Murkomen criticized recurring incidents of staged disappearances and called on the judiciary to take firm action against such cases.
"You know, these theatrics must come to a stop. And these repetitive theatrics must come to a stop. And I want to ask the judiciary to become very vigilant. If we bring people who are abducting themselves before the court of law, you must take the severest action against them. Because if you don’t, you are going to create a very bad culture in this country where people abduct themselves," he said.
Earlier Monday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) confirmed that Tuju was at his Karen residence throughout the period he was reported missing.
DCI Boss Mohammed Amin revealed that Tuju's phone signal was traced to his Karen residence despite him switching it off on Saturday.
Amin concluded that, based on investigations, the former CS stage managed his disappearance.
"Based on solid intelligence and meticulous forensic analysis, the DCI conclusively, and I am saying this without an iota of doubt, Tuju was physically present within his residence throughout the period in question.
"Even at the precise time his mobile phone was switched off at 18:18 hours on 21st March 2026, he was at his Karen residence," the DCI boss disclosed.
Amin exposed Tuju's family for failing to cooperate with the police investigations after reporting that their kin was missing.
He explained that the deployment of officers at his residence was meant to secure the location after the matter had been escalated.
The DCI denounced Tuju's claim that he went into hiding after he was trailed by an unmarked vehicle. He alleged that the former CS only came out because the police had closed in on him.
"When confronted with the reality that police were closing in on the truth and that his deception could no longer be sustained, Tuju chose to resurface, thereby confirming the investigators’ earlier well-founded suspicion that this was a carefully staged disappearance rather than a genuine case of abduction," Amin told the press.
Amin stated that the National Police Service would treat Tuju's conduct as a deliberate attempt to mislead the Kenyan public, to misdirect the law enforcement resources and undermine confidence in the very institutions tasked with protecting Kenyans.
He warned that the DCI would take action on Tuju and other politicians using abductions for sympathy seeking and advancing political courses.
"This matter will be pursued vigorously and with the full force of the law. Our objective is to curb this emerging culture of deception and restore full public confidence in our security apparatus," he stated.
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