Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju has escalated his long-running Sh1.5 billion property dispute into a criminal complaint at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, accusing Senior Counsel Fred Ojiambo of orchestrating forged affidavits and fabricated court evidence in a high-stakes battle involving the East African Development Bank.
In strongly worded remarks delivered after recording his statement, Tuju described Ojiambo as a “Bible-carrying fraud with a fake British accent” and called for a full criminal probe into what he termed a coordinated scheme to unlawfully deprive his family of property acquired over decades of work.
Tuju confirmed that he formally lodged his complaint after first writing to investigators ten days earlier. He stated that he submitted documentary evidence that he believes demonstrates criminal conduct by Ojiambo, who serves as a senior partner at Kaplan and Stratton, one of Kenya’s most established corporate law firms.
According to Tuju, the complaint marks a turning point in what has until now largely unfolded as a civil dispute over debt, securities, and enforcement proceedings tied to his Karen property.
Raphael Tuju Explosive Property War with East African Development Bank Takes a Criminal Dimension
The Tuju Explosive Property War with the East African Development Bank has played out in multiple courtrooms, including the High Court and the Supreme Court, where Tuju and the bank have clashed over the validity of loan arrangements and the enforcement of securities attached to his property. However, Tuju now argues that the matter transcends commercial litigation and has crossed into criminal misconduct.
He alleges that Ojiambo and other advocates at Kaplan and Stratton procured and manufactured false statements from a former Kenya country manager of the bank and subsequently filed those statements as sworn affidavits before superior courts. Tuju contends that certain affidavits were presented as having been properly commissioned before a Commissioner for Oaths when, in his view, they were not lawfully sworn, thereby misleading the judiciary and undermining the integrity of court proceedings.
Accompanied by his lawyer Duncan Okach during his visit to the DCI headquarters, Tuju framed the complaint as an effort to protect not only his property interests but also the credibility of Kenya’s justice system. He maintained that the Senior Counsel designation should never shield any advocate from scrutiny and insisted that professional titles cannot operate as immunity against allegations of criminal conduct.
Tuju expanded his criticism to the public image cultivated by Kaplan and Stratton, asserting that the firm projects an internationally polished brand while allegedly engaging in questionable litigation tactics. He further referenced separate legal troubles facing another senior partner at the firm, Peter Gachuhi, who is facing prosecution over the alleged forgery of the will of former Attorney General James Boro Karugu. By invoking that case, Tuju appeared to suggest a broader pattern of ethical concerns within elite legal circles, although those matters remain legally distinct.
Allegations of Immunity Claims and Intimidation
Beyond the contested affidavits, Tuju alleged that a related criminal matter pending before a Magistrates Court has stalled for over a year after Ojiambo purportedly raised what Tuju described as a non-existent claim of diplomatic immunity for the bank at the High Court. He further claimed that individuals connected to the dispute attempted to intimidate him through what he termed a fabricated international warrant of arrest allegedly originating from a Ugandan court.
These assertions, if substantiated, would raise serious concerns about abuse of legal process and potential obstruction of justice. At the same time, they underscore the depth of animosity that now defines the Tuju explosive property war with the East African Development Bank, which has evolved from a financial disagreement into a reputational and criminal confrontation.
Tuju emphasized that the stakes extend beyond financial loss, stating that the dispute threatens his family’s security and legacy. He portrayed the legal offensive against him as an attempt to erase decades of personal and professional achievement through procedural manipulation and alleged deception.
Ojiambo Firmly Denies Any Wrongdoing
Ojiambo has categorically rejected the accusations. In a phone interview, he dismissed the claims as baseless and stated that neither he nor his firm has falsified any affidavit in any matter whatsoever. He indicated that he was not aware of the specific details of the DCI complaint at the time but maintained confidence in the integrity of his legal practice and the propriety of the firm’s conduct in all proceedings related to the bank.
His denial sets up a consequential investigation that could test not only the evidence submitted by Tuju but also the robustness of safeguards within Kenya’s legal system. The DCI now faces the task of reviewing court filings, commissioning records, and correspondence to determine whether the allegations amount to prosecutable offenses or whether they reflect the intensity of a protracted commercial dispute.
The Tuju Explosive Property War with the East African Development Bank has therefore entered a decisive phase. What began as a contested enforcement action over property now carries potential criminal implications for prominent legal figures and institutions.
The outcome of the investigation will shape reputations, influence public confidence in the legal profession, and determine whether the explosive accusations levelled at the heart of Kenya’s corporate legal establishment can withstand forensic scrutiny.
