Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju has vowed to challenge the takeover of his 27-acre property in Karen, Nairobi after being blocked from accessing the Dari Business Park where police officers have been stationed around the clock.
Tuju says the dispute is linked to a loan he took from the East African Development Bank (EADB).
According to him, the amount owed is far less than the value of the property that was later auctioned. He insists that he has always been willing to repay the loan but questions the process that led to the takeover, arguing that the matter has been influenced by politics rather than handled purely as a financial dispute.
On Sunday morning, Tuju and several employees gathered outside the business park for prayers after they were denied entry to the premises.
Speaking to Citizen TV, Tuju said he should at least be allowed to collect his personal and office belongings from the property.
“They don’t have court orders and even if they had court orders… at least you should allow me to take my pens, pencils, papers to leave with,” he said.The property is now said to belong to Jackson Chebet through his company Ultra Eureka Limited. Tuju questioned how the acquisition was carried out and maintained that he is ready to settle the loan.
“I want to pay the loan and I have wanted to pay the loan for the longest time,” he said, adding that the original amount borrowed was about 9 million and he later tried to repay it.
Eliud Owalo also raised concerns about the heavy police presence at the property. He argued that commercial disputes should be resolved through civil legal procedures rather than through police involvement.
Tuju said he will continue pursuing the matter and hopes to regain the property. He also questioned why other premises within the business park had been locked, claiming there was a stop order issued against the auctioneers handling the process.
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