A Nairobi-based journalist has received relief after the High Court granted her anticipatory bail following claims by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) linking her to the alleged staged disappearance of former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju.
Justice Alexander Muteti certified the application by journalist Zipporah Wambui as urgent and admitted her to a bond of KSh200,000 with one surety or an alternative cash bail of the same amount. The court also directed that the application be served on the respondents and scheduled the matter for mention on May 6, 2026.
Wambui had moved to the High Court seeking anticipatory bail and protection from arrest after the DCI publicly named her as a person of interest in the alleged incident involving Tuju.
Through her lawyer Danstan Omari, she told the court that investigators had identified her alongside three other individuals as persons allegedly involved in planning and coordinating the purported disappearance. She denied any involvement in the alleged scheme and told the court that she does not know the other individuals mentioned by investigators.
In an affidavit filed before the court, Wambui stated that she only became aware of the alleged disappearance through media reports and communication from colleagues, just like any other journalist covering a developing story.
She explained that her presence at press briefings in Karen was strictly in her professional capacity as a journalist reporting on a matter of public interest. Wambui maintained that any interaction she may have had with persons connected to the story was part of lawful journalistic work aimed at gathering information.
According to her court papers, the DCI through its communications director John Marete issued a public statement on April 3, 2026, naming her as a person of interest in what investigators described as a staged disappearance involving Tuju. She argued that the announcement created apprehension of arrest or harassment despite her having committed no offence. Efforts to seek clarification from the DCI over her inclusion in the statement, she said, did not receive any response.
Wambui told the court that she has over 15 years’ experience in journalism and is accredited by the Media Council of Kenya. She added that she is a law-abiding citizen ready to cooperate with any lawful investigations. She asked the court to safeguard her constitutional rights, including media freedom and the right to liberty, and to restrain the DCI and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions from arresting or intimidating her without due process.
The matter will be mentioned on May 6, 2026, for further directions.
