- Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich has been found safe after being abducted on Tuesday night.
- Kiprotich was recovered near Masinga Dam in Machakos County after spending about nine hours in the hands of armed men.
- He had reportedly been dumped in the area before finding shelter at a nearby home.
- The Standard Group says the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
- The incident comes about two months after Kiprotich reportedly escaped another attempted abduction in Nakuru.
Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich has been found safe after an overnight ordeal that began with his abduction along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road.
Kiprotich was located near Masinga Dam in Machakos County early Wednesday morning, several hours after armed men reportedly forced him from his vehicle while he was travelling towards Nakuru. He had been left in the area before making his way to a nearby household for safety.
A Standard Group team led by Group Chief Executive Officer Chaacha Mwita found him at approximately 6:30 am. The media company said the editor was safe, although visibly shaken by what he had gone through.
The search for Kiprotich started late Tuesday after the Standard Group announced that he had been abducted shortly before 9:20 pm.
The media organisation had raised concern over his whereabouts after the reported attack and sought his immediate release. His discovery near Masinga Dam brought the search to an end several hours later.
Details about what happened during the period he was missing have not been fully established. It is also unclear who the attackers were, where Kiprotich was taken after the abduction, or what led to him being released and abandoned in Machakos.
Authorities are expected to investigate those questions as pressure grows for the circumstances surrounding the incident to be established.
Abduction follows earlier attempt in Nakuru
The latest incident is the second reported attempt to abduct Kiprotich within a period of just over two months.
On June 27, armed men travelling in a Toyota Probox allegedly targeted the journalist as he drove to work in Nakuru. Kiprotich managed to avoid being taken after locking himself inside his vehicle and driving away from the attackers.
The Standard Group later said investigations into that incident had linked the vehicle to the National Police Service’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau. Despite the claim, the media organisation said no individual had been held accountable over the attempted abduction.
The June incident attracted concern from the Committee to Protect Journalists, which called for a thorough investigation. It happened shortly after President William Ruto had publicly criticised The Standard Group over some of its reporting.
Following Kiprotich’s recovery, the Standard Group maintained that the circumstances of the latest incident required a proper investigation.
The media company had earlier called for his immediate and unconditional release while demanding a prompt, transparent and independent inquiry. It also linked the demand for accountability to both the latest abduction and the earlier attempted seizure in June.
The organisation has continued to raise concerns over the safety of its journalists and staff. The latest incident has added to those concerns, particularly because it occurred only weeks after the earlier reported attempt against Kiprotich.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission has also condemned the abduction. The rights organisation called for the arrest and prosecution of police officers it alleges were responsible.
Kiprotich’s case has renewed scrutiny of the security environment facing journalists in Kenya.
Media workers have increasingly raised concerns about intimidation, attacks and alleged abductions, particularly when their work involves politically sensitive issues or criticism of powerful institutions. Calls for independent investigations have therefore intensified whenever journalists are targeted.
For Kiprotich, the immediate priority is his safety and recovery after the ordeal. The outstanding question is whether investigators will establish who was behind the latest incident and whether those responsible will face legal action.
