Tuju’s appeal vanishes from the Court of Appeal list, and the sudden disappearance has lawyers for the former Cabinet secretary crying foul while the judiciary scrambles for answers. Raphael Tuju’s legal team showed up at the Milimani Law Courts ready for a 9 a.m. hearing on Monday, March 16, 2026, only to learn from registry staff that the application no longer appeared on the day’s cause list.
Lead counsel Grado Mabachi told reporters outside the building that the matter had been officially scheduled and the team received clear communication from the judiciary confirming the slot, yet when they checked the list, the case had simply gone missing.
He said the registry promised to look into it and get back to them, but hours later no explanation had come through, leaving Tuju and his lawyers in limbo over a filing that carries real weight for his ongoing financial battles.
The application asks the Court of Appeal for leave to challenge a recent High Court decision handed down by Justice Joyce Mongare. That ruling greenlighted enforcement action against Tuju, allowing auctioneers to move on properties tied to a long-running debt dispute with the East African Development Bank.
The debt which runs into billions of shillings traces back to loans his company took years ago, and Tuju has fought every step, insisting the enforcement steps have been rushed, irregular and tainted by outside pressure.
He has repeatedly said powerful hands are trying to grab his assets, and he has pointed fingers at state actors, claiming intimidation tactics are aimed at forcing him to give up the fight. Those public statements have kept the case in the political spotlight even though it started as a straight commercial disagreement.
Mabachi sounded frustrated when he spoke to the press. He explained that his client has pressing issues hanging in the balance, and the team arrived fully prepared with arguments and documents only to hit a wall at the registry counter.
The lawyer said they were told the file would be traced and the hearing rescheduled, but no timeline came with that promise. Tuju himself stayed out of the cameras, though those close to him say he views the mix-up as more than a simple clerical error.
The former information minister has already complained about uneven treatment in the courts, and this latest twist fits the pattern he has described before. His supporters online quickly picked up the story, sharing screenshots of the original cause list and asking how a scheduled matter can vanish without notice in a system that runs on public trust.
The Court of Appeal handles appeals from High Court rulings, and leave applications like Tuju’s are routine, yet the timing of this one adds extra heat. If the appellate court grants permission, Tuju gets another chance to argue that the High Court got it wrong on procedure and fairness.
Without that green light, the bank can push forward with asset sales that could wipe out significant holdings he has built over decades. The properties in question sit in prime areas, and their fate has drawn attention from business circles and political observers alike. Tuju has maintained that the debt enforcement ignores basic safeguards and serves interests beyond the bank’s legitimate claim.
Judiciary officials have not issued any formal statement yet on why the matter dropped off the list. Registry staff at Milimani often deal with last-minute adjustments because of judge availability or filing errors, but removing a confirmed hearing without prior warning raises eyebrows.
Lawyers familiar with the system say such disappearances sometimes stem from internal diary clashes or administrative oversights, though they rarely happen to high-profile cases without quick fixes. Tuju’s team says they will keep pressing for clarity and, if necessary, file fresh papers to get the application back on track.
Public reaction online shows a mix of sympathy for Tuju and scepticism about the courts. Some Kenyans posted that powerful people always find ways to bend rules, while others wondered if the former CS is simply facing the same delays ordinary litigants complain about every day.
The case has already stretched across years with multiple hearings, adjournments and appeals, so another roadblock feels familiar to those who have followed it closely. Tuju has used public platforms before to highlight what he calls unequal justice, and this episode gives him fresh material if he chooses to speak again.
For now the four lawyers wait for the registry to sort out the mystery. They arrived expecting to argue their client’s case; instead, they left with more questions than answers. The Court of Appeal sits as the second level of review in Kenya’s judicial ladder, and any further delay in hearing Tuju’s plea keeps the threat of property loss hanging over his head.
Whether this turns out to be a genuine mix-up or something deliberate, the incident has once again put a spotlight on how smoothly the system handles matters involving prominent figures or not.
Tuju’s appeal vanishes from the Court of Appeal list, and while the judiciary promises to look into it, the former minister and his team are left wondering when, if ever, they will get their day in the appellate court. The coming days should bring clarity, but until then uncertainty surrounds a dispute that refuses to fade quietly.