Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich has been found alive after a dramatic overnight ordeal that began with his alleged abduction along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road and ended hours later in Masinga, Machakos County.
Kiprotich was reportedly discovered abandoned near the Masinga Dam area after being held for several hours by unknown people.
Reports indicated that the veteran journalist was alive but visibly shaken following the traumatic experience.
The Standard Group had raised the alarm on Tuesday night, September 1, after confirming that Kiprotich had been abducted shortly before 9:20pm while travelling towards Nakuru.
At the time, the media house said it did not know his whereabouts and demanded his immediate and unconditional release.
“The Standard Group PLC confirms that shortly before 9:20 pm this evening, our Associate Editor, Alex Kiprotich, was abducted along the Gilgil–Nakuru road while travelling to Nakuru. We do not know where he is as we issue this statement,” the company said in its initial statement.
However, the tense search ended on Wednesday morning after Kiprotich was found alive near Masinga Dam, with reports indicating that he had been abandoned in the area several hours after being taken from the highway.
The circumstances surrounding where he was held, who was behind the incident and why he was eventually released remained unclear as investigations got underway.
Chilling Abduction Along Highway
The latest incident reportedly unfolded dramatically along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road, where armed men intercepted Kiprotich’s vehicle.
Video footage that emerged online appeared to capture the frightening moments before he was allegedly taken away.
In the clip, armed men are seen confronting the occupants of the vehicle and demanding that Kiprotich open the window.
The journalist and a woman who was reportedly accompanying him could be heard pleading with the men and asking what offence they had committed.
“Just tell us what mistake we have done please, we apologise, we have done nothing wrong boss, just tell us please,” Kiprotich was heard saying in the video.
One of the armed men was heard issuing a threat before Kiprotich was allegedly forced out of the vehicle and bundled into another car.
The incident immediately triggered widespread concern, particularly because this was not the first time Kiprotich had allegedly been targeted.
Second Attack in Just Two Months
Kiprotich’s latest ordeal came barely two months after he survived another alleged attempted abduction in Nakuru.
On June 27, armed men travelling in a Toyota Probox allegedly attempted to seize him as he drove to work. Kiprotich managed to escape after locking his vehicle doors and speeding away.
The Committee to Protect Journalists later reported that men armed with AK-47 rifles intercepted his vehicle and attempted to gain access to him.
Kiprotich subsequently reported the matter to police, while the incident drew concern from press freedom organisations.
According to the Standard Group, its own investigations into the June incident traced the vehicle allegedly involved to the National Police Service’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau.
However, no one had been held accountable by the time of the latest incident, according to the media house.
Standard Group Raises Serious Questions
In its statement following Tuesday night’s abduction, the Standard Group suggested that the incident could have been linked to Kiprotich’s journalistic work.
The company said Kiprotich had been involved in editorial work that scrutinised the conduct of the State and argued that the latest incident did not appear to be a coincidence.
“We do not believe this is a coincidence. Mr Kiprotich has been at the forefront of our editorial output, including reporting that has scrutinised the conduct of the State, and tonight’s abduction bears all the hallmarks of a targeted attack on a journalist for doing his job,” the company said.
The Standard Group further said it believed the incident could be linked to attempts to intimidate the media organisation, although the allegations have not been independently established.
“If that is confirmed, this is not simply a crime against one man. It is an assault on the Constitution of Kenya, on the freedoms of expression and of the media guaranteed under Articles 33 and 34, and on the right of every Kenyan to independent information,” the statement added.
The media house called for a prompt, transparent and independent investigation into both the latest incident and the alleged June 27 attempted abduction.
It also appealed to bodies including the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the Law Society of Kenya, the Media Council of Kenya and the Committee to Protect Journalists to demand answers and push for the protection of journalists.
Kiprotich’s recovery has brought relief after hours of uncertainty, but his discovery in Masinga has now opened another chapter in a case that is likely to renew debate about the safety of journalists, media freedom and the growing concern over alleged abductions in Kenya.
As investigations continue, attention is expected to turn to the identity of those who allegedly took the Standard Group editor, where he was held during the hours he was missing and how he eventually ended up abandoned near Masinga.
For now, the most important development is that Kiprotich has been found alive, but shaken after a night of fear that once again placed Kenya’s media fraternity on high alert.
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