Police Officer Says Raphael Tuju Never Reported Abduction, Court Hears

NAIROBI, Kenya — A police officer who testified in the case involving former Cabinet minister Raphael Tuju has told the court that Tuju never informed her that he had been abducted, but reported that a white Land Cruiser was following him.

Chief Inspector Purity Kobia, who was serving at Karen Police Station at the time, testified that she received a report from Tuju at around 6 p.m. on March 21, 2026, concerning the vehicle allegedly trailing him.

Kobia told the court that she could not determine whether Tuju’s report was true or false because she had not witnessed the incident herself.

Asked by the prosecution whether she had received false information from Tuju, the officer said she could only record the information as it was reported to her.

“I could not know whether it was false or true. I made the report as it was reported,” Kobia told the court.

She also told the judge that Tuju did not tell her that he had been abducted.

Officer Says She Could Not Establish Whether Tuju Lied

During questioning, Kobia said she could not determine whether Tuju had deliberately misled her about being followed.

“I can’t tell he lied to me. I don’t know whether he was lying or not,” she said.

The officer explained that her role was limited to receiving and recording the complaint before assigning it for investigation.

She was not the investigating officer in the matter, and said the investigation was later taken over by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

As a result, Kobia said she could not tell the court what the investigating officer subsequently pursued.

Dispute Over False Information Charge

Kobia’s evidence came amid questions surrounding a charge alleging that false information had been given to police.

The officer told the court that she had not authored the charge sheet, despite being listed as the complainant.

She said the charge related to allegedly giving false information but firmly denied that she had personally received false information from Tuju.

“There was no false information I was given. That one I would deny,” she said.

Her testimony could become significant in determining what information was actually reported to police and what subsequent investigators relied upon in pursuing the case.

Officers Found Abandoned Vehicle at Tuju’s Home

Kobia also testified about a separate incident in which she and other police officers went to Tuju’s home in Karen.

According to her evidence, officers found an abandoned vehicle at the premises and later towed it to Karen Police Station.

Kobia said she did not know what happened to the vehicle after she was transferred from the station.

She told the court that when officers initially arrived at the residence, they encountered a watchman who informed them that nobody was inside the house.

Kobia later received a telephone call from Tuju’s wife, who said she did not trust the people at the gate. She indicated that she would instead go to the police station accompanied by her advocate to record a statement.

Conflicting Occurrence Book Entries

During cross-examination, Kobia was shown an occurrence book entry identified as OB 17 of March 22, 2026.

The entry referred to a “missing person and abandoned motor vehicle” and was later described in court as relating to a “missing person and stolen vehicle.”

Kobia told the court that she did not make the entry and did not know who had recorded it.

She also confirmed that she was not the officer who recorded the occurrence book entry concerning Tuju’s report.

During re-examination, the report that Kobia personally received was identified as OB 21 of March 21, 2026.

She maintained that the report made directly to her concerned the alleged vehicle trailing Tuju and that she could not comment on whether the claim was truthful because she had not investigated it.

Tuju Reported Missing

Tuju was reported missing on March 21 after his family said they were unable to reach him because his mobile phones had been switched off.

He later resurfaced and said he had gone into hiding following what he described as an attempted abduction.

The latest testimony has focused on the information initially provided to police, the handling of the reports and the subsequent investigation into allegations surrounding Tuju’s disappearance.

The court is expected to hear further evidence as the case proceeds.