Raphael Tuju: Former Journalist Making Waves in the World of Politics

Raphael Tuju is a Kenyan politician who joined the murky world of politics after practicing journalism for years.

President Mwai Kibaki awarded Tuju the second-highest civilian title in Kenya, the Elder of the Golden Heart (E.G.H. ), in recognition of his many years of work in the fields of public service, human development, and health.

Family and Background

Tuju was born on March 30, 1959.

On November 15, 1986, he married Rose Akinyi with whom he spent 27 years of his life with.

The marriage fell apart in 2013 after Akinyi allegedly had an extramarital affair with Tony Ogunda.

They split up in 2012, but Tuju made the announcement in February 2013 by alleging she was violent and adulterous.

According to the Standard, he alleged in the divorce proceeding that his wife had cheated on him with a rude young man.

He shares three kids with Akinyi—two daughters and a son.

Education

Prior to joining Starehe Boys, he attended Majiwa Primary School and Nakuru West Primary School.

Tuju earned a Master of Arts in mass communication from the University of Leicester in the UK.

Career

He started his journalism career in the 1980s and 1990s. He produced and directed numerous documentaries as well as television and radio adverts for the private, public, and non-profit sectors.

He served as the principal consultant for the creation and execution of numerous communication initiatives. Tuju collaborated with a number of significant institutions, including the World Bank, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Health Organization (WHO), and United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

In addition to this, he wrote columns for the Standard newspaper.

Apparently, he was the first producer in Africa to receive an Emmy for a television production.

Politics

In 2002, he successfully ran for the Rarieda parliamentary seat. During his tenure, he developed a number of secondary schools, established a water project, and introduced a mobile hospital to lower infant mortality due to malaria and HIV/AIDS.

He served as the Minister for Information and Communications as well as the Minister of Tourism and Wildlife between 2003 and 2005. He was named Foreign Minister in a government reshuffle later in 2005.

He founded the Progressive People’s Party before the 2005 referendum vote. This action was intended to influence people against the Raila Odinga-led “No” movement.

In 2007, he sought a second term as Rarieda MP this time on a Party of National Unity ticket. He lost the election, and Moses Wetangula took over as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

He served as the president’s adviser on matters pertaining to the media and the management of diversity from 2008 to 2011.

He made the decision to run for the nation’s top office, the presidency, in 2012. He created the Party of Action (POA), a new political organization, but he withdrew from the campaign after a few months.

He was named the Jubilee Party’s secretary general in 2017.

In 2018, President Uhuru Kenyatta named him a cabinet secretary without portfolio.

Tuju is currently the Executive Director of Azimio La Umoja campaign secretariat.