Former Cabinet Secretary and veteran politician Raphael Tuju is fighting for his life in a hospital bed at Karen Hospital, under police guard, after what his lawyers describe as a night of rough handling that nearly proved fatal for the recovering road accident survivor.
In a sworn affidavit filed in court on Tuesday, Tuju recounts a terrifying ordeal that began when he voluntarily reported to Karen Police Station on the night of Monday, 23 March 2026, to record a statement.
The 66-year-old politician, who survived a devastating road accident three years ago that left him with serious spinal and back injuries, claims he was manhandled, pushed, and roughly handled by officers.
He says the physical force immediately aggravated his pre-existing spinal condition, triggering severe pain. What followed inside the police cell was even more alarming: his blood sugar level plummeted dangerously to 1.9 a critically low reading that can lead to coma or death.
Doctors urgently summoned from neighboring Karen Hospital examined him in the cell. They placed him on oxygen and issued a chilling warning to those present: “We might lose him in five minutes” if urgent intervention was not provided.
Tuju’s family, lawyers, and medical team raised the alarm, both privately and publicly, pleading for his immediate transfer to hospital.
His relatives have expressed deep distress, stating that the manner in which he was treated in custody has worsened his already fragile medical condition and placed his life at serious risk.
He was eventually rushed to Karen Hospital, where he remains admitted and under treatment. Yet even in the hospital ward, relief has been short-lived.
Police officers continue to maintain a heavy guard at his bedside an arrangement Tuju says is causing him further distress and violating his constitutional rights to dignity and privacy while receiving critical medical care.
“Unless the orders sought are granted, I stand to suffer irreparable harm and my life remains in danger,” the affidavit cautions. “The continued police presence serves no lawful purpose and only exacerbates my medical emergency.”
Tuju has assured the court that he is willing and ready to attend court or report to the police whenever summoned, once granted anticipatory bail.
Tuju was to be be presented before court to face the charge of giving false information to CI Purity Kobia on March 21 at Entim Sidai Spa and wellness Sactuary in Karen Langata Sub County that he had been traced by unknown assailants leading to his disappearance.
Tuju’s lawyers Hon. Eugene Wamalwa, Senator Dan Maanzo, Adv. Ndegwa Njiru, and otherS , led by Senior Counsel Kalonzo Musyoka, appeared before Kibera magistrate Stella Atambo. They reiterated that his health deteriorated after he was manhandled by police, whom they accused of “abducting” him outside Karen Police Station.
“We spent the whole afternoon yesterday pleading with officers at Karen Police Station, reinforced by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. As senior counsel, I witnessed what I consider an abduction outside the station,” Musyoka told the court.
The Wiper leader informed the court that his team had consistently emphasized Tuju’s status as a recovering patient following a serious road accident. He acknowledged, however, that the detectives had allowed doctors from Karen Hospital to examine Tuju inside the police cell.
Musyoka echoed the affidavit’s account, confirming that doctors found Tuju’s suffered severe hypoglycemia, a situation whereby his blood sugar level had dropped to 1.9mmol/L, which he described as dangerously low and life-threatening.
The court also heard that some of Tuju’s lawyers were denied access to see him at the police station.
The dramatic events unfold amid a broader saga involving Tuju’s properties in Karen and recent reports of him going missing after his vehicle was found abandoned claims that sparked public concern and drew in senior opposition figures.
Medical experts note that a blood sugar level of 1.9 mmol/L is life-threatening, particularly for a patient with a history of severe spinal injuries. Any physical trauma in such cases can trigger cascading complications
