Leaders Demand Swift Probe Into Abduction of Standard Group Editor Alex Kiprotich

Political leaders and major political parties have called for swift action to identify and apprehend those responsible for the alleged abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich, as concerns over the safety of journalists in Kenya continue to grow.

Kiprotich was allegedly accosted by armed men along the Gilgil–Nakuru Road on Tuesday night before being found dumped near Masinga Dam in the early hours of Wednesday.

The incident marked the second time Kiprotich has reportedly been targeted in recent months.

In June, he survived an attempted abduction and reported the incident at Menengai Police Station. The Standard Group later said its internal investigations had linked the vehicle used in that incident to officers attached to the National Police Service's Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau in Nakuru.

The claim has not been independently established, and no individuals have been publicly held accountable over the June incident.

Martha Karua Condemns Abduction

People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua condemned the latest incident and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

Karua warned that allowing cases involving alleged abductions to go unresolved could create a culture of impunity and further undermine democratic freedoms.

She said the reported pattern of abductions evoked memories of a darker period in Kenya's history when state power was allegedly used to intimidate and silence political dissent.

"We know this dark chapter of our history. During the Moi era, abduction, detention, and intimidation were used to instil fear and silence those who challenged power," Karua said.

"Kenyans fought for multiparty democracy and a new constitutional order precisely because we rejected that way of governing. We cannot allow those methods to continue."

ODM Warns of Risk to National Stability

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) also condemned what it described as a growing culture of abductions in the country.

The party called on relevant authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

"As a party that has for years since its formation been championing the rights of the people and the respect for human rights and dignity, we ask the relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances that led to the events of last night," ODM said.

The party warned that the normalisation of abductions and violations of human rights could threaten national stability and contribute to an environment of lawlessness.

KANU Defends Media Freedom

The Kenya African National Union (KANU), through Secretary General George Wainaina, said the incident should not be treated as an isolated case.

The party expressed concern that journalists and media organisations could increasingly become targets because of their reporting and scrutiny of those in positions of power.

"Media freedom is not a concession from those in power but a constitutional right, and protecting it is an obligation of every institution entrusted with public authority," KANU said.

The party described the alleged abduction of Kiprotich as a serious assault on media freedom and the rule of law.

"We reject, in all its manifestations, the attempt to normalise intimidation, unlawful detention or abduction of journalists for speaking truth to power," the statement added.

MP Calls for Immediate Justice

Kiharu Member of Parliament Ndindi Nyoro also called for an investigation into the incident, describing the alleged abduction as "crude, diabolical and heinous."

The legislator said journalists must be allowed to carry out their work without intimidation and called on the government to protect media freedom.

"Journalism must be allowed to thrive unhindered, and the state must stop the intimidation. We demand justice for Alex Kiprotich. Justice NOW," he said in a post on X.

How Kiprotich Was Found

Standard Group Chief Executive Officer Chaacha Mwita said he received a distress call at approximately 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday informing him that Kiprotich had allegedly been abducted.

The media organisation subsequently deployed a security team and alerted police stations in Nakuru and Nairobi. The company also publicised the incident through its various platforms as efforts to locate the journalist intensified.

The search ended in the early hours of Wednesday when the company received information that Kiprotich had been dumped near Masinga Dam.

According to Mwita, the abductors had allegedly told Kiprotich that he was in Baringo and instructed him not to wake up until they gave him permission.

After he was left in the area, Kiprotich reportedly sought refuge at a nearby home, where residents sheltered him and provided him with a phone to contact his colleagues.

"The people who had abducted him had switched off his phone. There was no way of reaching him, which added another layer of trauma around this," Mwita said.

He said the company received a call at around 3:00 a.m. informing them that Kiprotich had been left in a thicket near the edges of Masinga Dam.

A Standard Group team led by Mwita subsequently travelled to the area and located Kiprotich at approximately 6:30 a.m.

Journalist Reported Safe

The Standard Group said Kiprotich was safe but understandably shaken following the ordeal.

Mwita expressed gratitude to the family that provided shelter to the journalist and to those who assisted in efforts to locate him.

However, he described the incident as a deeply disturbing attack on press freedom and questioned the state's commitment to protecting journalists and media freedom as guaranteed under Kenya's Constitution.

The latest incident has renewed concerns over the safety of journalists in Kenya, with political leaders, media stakeholders and human rights organisations calling for a credible investigation and accountability.

The focus now turns to law enforcement authorities to establish who was behind the alleged abduction, determine the motive and establish whether the incident was connected to Kiprotich's journalistic work.