The Kenya Editors Guild has condemned the reported abduction of The Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich, describing the incident as a serious escalation in the intimidation and targeting of journalists in Kenya.
The Guild said the incident was not merely an attack on an individual journalist but an assault on media freedom, freedom of expression, the public’s right to know and Kenya’s constitutional democracy.
The Standard Group PLC confirmed that Kiprotich was abducted shortly before 9:20pm on Tuesday along the Gilgil-Nakuru road while travelling to Nakuru.
He was later found dumped in Masinga, Machakos County.
The Editors Guild said the circumstances were particularly alarming because it was the second reported attempt to seize or harm Mr Kiprotich in barely two months.
On June 27, 2026, armed men travelling in a Toyota Probox reportedly attempted to intercept him as he drove to work in Nakuru. He escaped after locking himself inside his vehicle before fleeing the scene.
The incident occurred only days after President William Ruto had publicly criticised The Standard Group over its coverage.
According to investigations reportedly undertaken by The Standard Group, the vehicle used in the June incident was subsequently traced to the National Police Service’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau.
The Guild described the alleged link as a grave matter requiring an immediate, independent and credible investigation.
“These are grave allegations. They cannot be dismissed, explained away or buried in silence. They demand immediate, independent and credible investigation,” said Guild President Zubeidah Kananu.
The latest incident comes shortly after two Kisumu-based Agence France-Presse journalists, Fred Ooko and Brian Ongoro, were reportedly assaulted while covering a Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay Town.
The Guild said the incidents collectively pointed to a deeply troubling media environment in which journalists were being beaten, pursued, threatened, harassed and abducted while carrying out their professional duties.
“If State agents are indeed involved in these attacks, then Kenya faces a crisis far more serious than individual acts of violence,” the Guild said.
It warned that involvement of State agents would represent a dangerous misuse of institutions entrusted with protecting citizens.
The Guild invoked Article 34(2) of the Constitution, which protects media freedom and prohibits the State from interfering with persons engaged in broadcasting, publication or dissemination of information.
It said journalists did not surrender their constitutional rights by asking difficult questions, publishing uncomfortable facts or holding those in power to account.
The Editors Guild demanded swift, transparent and genuinely independent investigation into Kiprotich’s reported abduction, including the circumstances surrounding the June 27 incident.
It also demanded a full investigation into the reported link between the vehicle involved in the June incident and the National Police Service’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau.
“The identification and prosecution of all persons responsible for the attacks, regardless of their position, rank or institutional affiliation.”
“A credible investigation into the assault of AFP journalists Fred Ooko and Brian Ongoro, including allegations that their attackers were armed,” said the Guild.
The Guild also called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to exercise its oversight mandate and ensure that the investigations and any subsequent prosecutions are handled with the seriousness demanded by the circumstances.
“The State has a constitutional duty to respect, protect and promote the rights of journalists. It cannot purport to defend democracy while those who report on the exercise of power are being hunted, assaulted or made to disappear,” the Guild said.
It further warned that a journalist’s safety should not depend on whether the Government approves of his or her reporting.
“The safety of journalists is non-negotiable. The freedom of the media is non-negotiable. And the public’s right to know is non-negotiable,” the Guild said.
“When a journalist is abducted, the victim is not the only one silenced. The entire public is silenced with him.”
The Guild called on President William Ruto and State agencies to ensure that Kiprotich is found safe and that those responsible for his reported abduction are held accountable.
“An attack on a journalist is an attack on the public’s right to know. An attack on the media is an attack on the sovereign will of the people of Kenya and democracy itself,” Kananu said.
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