You need honest friends! Ruto tells Tuju

President William Ruto has told former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju to drop his political allies, saying those around him are not honest but are misleading him for their own agenda. [File, Standard]

President William Ruto has told former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju to drop his political allies, saying those around him are not honest but are misleading him for their own agenda.

Speaking in Nyanza on Tuesday, March 24, the President accused Tuju’s associates of advising him to hide and later claim he had been abducted, saying such stunts only damage his reputation and do not solve the financial problems he is facing.

His remarks came after Tuju resurfaced hours after his alleged abduction, saying he had gone into hiding after noticing what he described as suspicious surveillance.

According to President Ruto, the incident was orchestrated by people close to the former CS instead of helping him deal with his challenges.

Tuju needs help and honest friends, Ruto says pic.twitter.com/IG2zGFTNKR

— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) March 24, 2026

He said Tuju needs proper advice on how to recover his wealth rather than political theatrics.

“Tuju needs honest friends and honest advice. He doesn’t need scavengers who are trying to scavenge about the misfortune of a citizen. He should be advised so that his wealth can be recovered and he can move forward. But he doesn’t need these frauds around him, who are dragging everyone, including former President Uhuru Kenyatta, into their shenanigans,” said Ruto.

The former Rarieda MP had been reported missing since Saturday evening, but later appeared yesterday, flanked by opposition leaders and his legal team, explaining why he chose to go into hiding.

His reappearance came a day after his family, lawyers and political allies raised alarm over what they suspected was an abduction, following the discovery of his abandoned vehicle and his sudden loss of contact.

Tuju said his decision to disappear was triggered by repeated incidents in which he believed he was being followed by a suspicious vehicle.

He claimed the ordeal began on Friday after leaving a petrol station in Karen, when he noticed a car trailing him, prompting him to report the matter at Karen Police Station under an Occurrence Book entry dated March 21, 2026. “Because it is easy to tell when you are being followed. You slow down, they slow down. You overtake, they try to overtake,” he said.

According to Tuju, the situation escalated on Saturday evening as he prepared to attend a scheduled interview at Ramogi Radio, when he again spotted the same vehicle, this time without number plates.

He linked the incident to previous sightings of police vehicles near his residence, some of which he claimed also lacked registration plates.

Tuju said the car trailed him closely until he reached the Karen roundabout, forcing him to divert to Nandi Road, where he managed to lose it. “They were not able to branch into Nandi Road. That is how I lost them.” 

He later abandoned his vehicle and went into hiding.

However, Ruto has now dismissed the abduction claims as theatrics, saying true friends would have advised Tuju differently.

“The other day, they confused Tuju. They told him to go hide in his bedroom and then claim he had been abducted. Just imagine that,” said Ruto.