Governor Nyong’o Breaks Silence On Raphael Tuju Property Raid, Questions Police Use
Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o has condemned the forceful eviction of former Cabinet Minister Raphael Tuju from his multi-million business premise in Karen, Nairobi.
Nyong’o is questioning the heavy deployment of police officers to oversee what he termed a civil dispute that ought to be handled differently.
“The recent event surrounding the handling of Raphael Tuju’s Land dispute and commercial affairs raises serious questions about the conduct of institutions entrusted with upholding the rule of law in our country,” he said in a statement issued on Sunday.
Nyong’o said Kenya has travelled a long and painful road to build a democratic society grounded on the protection of civil liberties and the rights of its citizens, saying recent events are deeply concerning.
“The police officers whose primary duty is to maintain law and order to facilitate actions that seemingly bypass established legal processes is troubling,” the Kisumu County boss said.
According to the governor, debt recovery and commercial disputes are clearly addressed within the framework of civil law, and such matters ought to be handled transparently and through lawful procedures.
“The resort to nocturnal operations and coercive displays of state power in matters of a civil nature invites legitimate public concern. One must ask, under what legal provision are such actions justified?” he wondered.
The Governor said Tuju is a former senior public servant who has served his country at the highest levels of leadership.
Nyong’o insisted that whatever the merits of the commercial dispute at hand, he is neither a fugitive nor a criminal deserving treatment that subjects him to humiliation or unnecessary public harassment.
“Those entrusted with public authority must exercise it with restraint, legality and respect for due process,” he said.
“Ultimately, every Kenyan, regardless of status, creed or political inclination, deserves a fair and just treatment under the law.”
On Saturday, Kenyans woke up to video clips showing heavily armed police officers arriving in five vehicles at Tuju’s Dari Business Park situated along Ngong Road in Karen.
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The cops arrived at the facility in the wee hours of the night, at around 2 am, to ostensibly oversee the removal of Tuju from the 21-acre premise after it was allegedly sold in an auction to recover a bank debt.
The previous night, Tuju had confronted a group of goons, who attempted to take over the premises that had about 25 businesses operating within the compound, including his private office.
The standoff arose after a court ruling cleared the way for the auction of the property to recover a debt estimated at more than Sh1.9 billion, in a case that has been in litigation for several years.
On Saturday, leaders who included Homabay Governor Gladys Wanga, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, businessman Jimi Wanjigi and lawyer PLO Lumumba were among those who visited the disputed property in a show of solidarity.
Governor Nyong’o Breaks Silence On Raphael Tuju Property Raid, Questions Police Use
