Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has accused former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju of staging his own disappearance, using the incident to argue that some reported abduction cases in the country are fabricated.
Speaking during the burial of MP William Kamket’s son in Tiaty, Murkomen claimed Tuju’s case was an example of individuals allegedly orchestrating disappearances to gain public sympathy and mislead the public.
“The other day, I was on a plane from London, and I was told that former CS Raphael Tuju is missing. I asked the DCI, and they said that his family claimed he was missing, but according to investigations, he was in his house,” he said.
According to Murkomen, consultations with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) indicated that Tuju had remained at his residence, despite reports of his disappearance.
“DCI told me not to worry because Tuju switched off his phone, which they said happened at his residence. I asked them to verify. The family had reported to the police but had asked officers not to go to their home. Later, police went to the residence,” he added.
Murkomen maintained that incidents of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings are no longer taking place under the current administration, insisting the government is committed to upholding the rule of law.
“Cases of abduction and extrajudicial killings are no more in our government. The President and the Ministry of Interior have ensured there are no insecurity issues. We are a government of the rule of law. We only deal with criminals according to the rule of law. You have seen some people abducting themselves. They are doing that to get sympathy,” he said.
The remarks come amid public debate following reports that Tuju had gone missing, before resurfacing around 24 hours later.
However, the DCI later dismissed claims of an abduction, stating that findings from a multi-agency investigation showed he had been at his Karen residence throughout the period in question.
DCI Director Amin Mohammed confirmed that intelligence gathered during the operation supported this conclusion.
“The DCI conclusively established that Raphael Tuju was physically present within his residence throughout the period in question,” Amin said.
Authorities further indicated that Tuju’s phone had been switched off on the evening of March 21 while he was believed to be at home.
Tuju later resurfaced and was subsequently arrested, with officials citing the provision of false information and concerns related to national security.
