- The Media Council of Kenya has called for an immediate investigation into the abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich.
- MCK says footage from the incident showed masked armed men surrounding Kiprotich’s vehicle along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road.
- Kiprotich was found safe near Masinga Dam in Machakos County about nine hours after he was taken.
- The Council has raised concern that no arrests have been made over an earlier reported attempt to abduct the journalist.
- MCK has also criticised the growing online profiling and trolling of editors and journalists.
The Media Council of Kenya has demanded an urgent investigation into the reported abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich, saying the incident raises serious questions about the safety of journalists in Kenya.
Kiprotich was taken on Tuesday night after armed men reportedly blocked his vehicle along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road. The attackers allegedly ordered the occupants to lower the windows and get out of the vehicle before taking the journalist away. He was later found alive near Masinga Dam in Machakos County, about nine hours after the incident.
The Standard Group editor was reportedly shaken after the ordeal but was safe when he was located. His recovery ended an overnight search, although key questions about the people behind the incident and their motive remain unanswered.
MCK wants police to establish what happened
MCK said footage from the scene provides important evidence that should be examined as part of the investigation.
According to the Council, the video showed masked armed men surrounding Kiprotich’s vehicle and issuing orders to those inside. MCK said the journalist appeared frightened and was being threatened during the confrontation.
The Council has called on Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to ensure the incident is investigated and those responsible are identified. It wants the authorities to establish how the attackers operated, determine what happened after Kiprotich was taken and pursue those found to have been involved.
MCK Chief Executive Officer David Omwoyo said the Council was particularly concerned because the latest incident follows another reported attempt to seize the same journalist.
Kiprotich was reportedly targeted on June 27 while driving to work in Nakuru.
Armed men allegedly tried to intercept his vehicle, but he managed to escape after locking himself inside and driving away. He subsequently reported the incident to the police, but MCK says no arrests have been made over the case.
Omwoyo said the absence of arrests has raised concern within the Council, especially given that Kiprotich has now been subjected to another reported attack. The two incidents have also increased calls for authorities to provide greater protection to journalists facing threats because of their work.
MCK said it has previously recorded cases involving violations against journalists and forwarded them to police for investigation and possible prosecution. The Council also noted that the Director of Public Prosecutions had instructed police to take action on several cases referred to the Inspector General within a 30-day period.
The Media Council said the slow progress in investigations and prosecutions remains a major concern when journalists are attacked or threatened.
The Council argued that failure to bring perpetrators to account could undermine confidence in efforts to protect media workers. It also raised a separate concern over the growing use of social media to target, profile and troll editors.
According to MCK, editors at the Nation Media Group have also faced such online targeting. The Council said the trend was worrying because personal attacks against journalists and editors can create an environment in which media professionals feel threatened for carrying out their work.
The Council’s position is anchored in the constitutional protection of press freedom. Article 34 of the Constitution of Kenya protects freedom and independence of the media and restricts state interference with the dissemination of information.
MCK said protecting journalists is not only about the safety of individual media workers but also about safeguarding the public’s access to information.
“The State bears the responsibility of ensuring that journalists are not intimidated or harassed because attacks on the media are a threat to democracy,” the Council said.
The statement comes after Kiprotich’s recovery from the latest incident. He was found near Masinga Dam after reportedly being abandoned in the area and later seeking assistance from a nearby household.
What remains unclear
Although Kiprotich has been reunited with colleagues and is safe, several aspects of the incident remain unclear.
Investigators are yet to establish the identities of the armed men, where the journalist was taken during the nine-hour period and what motivated the abduction. It is also not yet clear whether the latest incident was connected to the June attempt.
MCK’s demand now puts pressure on the police to provide answers and pursue those responsible. For media organisations and journalists, the case has once again placed the issue of safety and accountability at the centre of the national conversation.
