ODM Condemns Alleged Abduction of Standard Editor Alex Kiprotich

Standard Media Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich was reportedly abducted by armed men while travelling towards Nakuru on Monday night and was found safe several hours later near Masinga Dam.

Kiprotich was intercepted shortly before 9.20pm along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road after a vehicle blocked his path. Footage released by the Standard Group appears to show several masked men, some apparently armed, emerging from a white Subaru and approaching his vehicle.

The men are then seen pulling Kiprotich from his car and forcing him into the waiting vehicle. A voice believed to be that of the journalist can be heard asking, “Nimefanya nini?” meaning “What have I done?”

His whereabouts remained unknown for several hours, prompting an overnight search by colleagues. The Standard Group later confirmed that he had been found at about 6.30am near Masinga Dam, where his captors had apparently abandoned him.

According to Standard Group chief executive Chaacha Mwita, Kiprotich sought shelter at a nearby family's home after being left there. The family took him in and cared for him until he was located. He was reported to be safe but shaken by the incident.

The circumstances of the incident remain unclear. Nakuru County Police Commander Samwel Boit said police had not received a formal complaint from Kiprotich or the Standard Group and that authorities were not aware of the alleged abduction.

The Standard Group has questioned whether the men were ordinary criminals or individuals linked to security agencies. It has called for an independent investigation to establish what happened and identify those responsible.

The incident is particularly significant because Kiprotich was the target of another alleged abduction attempt only weeks earlier. On 27 June, armed men travelling in a Toyota Probox reportedly tried to force him from his vehicle as he travelled to work in Nakuru.

Kiprotich escaped by locking his doors and driving away. The Standard Group later said the vehicle used in that incident had been traced to the National Police Service's Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau. No one has been held accountable over the incident, according to the media organisation.

The recurrence of the incidents has raised questions about whether they are connected. The Standard Group has said Kiprotich's editorial work, including reporting on the conduct of State institutions, may have made him a target.

The media organisation has not presented the alleged involvement of State actors as an established fact. Instead, it has called for an investigation to determine who was responsible and why the journalist was targeted. The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has condemned the reported abduction, saying it threatens constitutional freedoms and the independence of the media.

ODM cited Article 34 of the Constitution, which protects freedom and independence of the media. The party said that if Kiprotich was suspected of an offence, he should have been arrested through lawful procedures and taken before a court.

The party also criticised what it described as a growing pattern of night-time abductions, saying such incidents undermine confidence in constitutional protections and the rule of law. The Nakuru Journalist Association has called for a swift, transparent and independent investigation. Its chairman, Joseph Openda, said journalists should not face abduction, threats, assault or intimidation because of their professional work.

Openda warned that fear among journalists could affect press freedom, public accountability and the public's access to information. The association has urged security agencies and other institutions to take steps to protect journalists and ensure that those responsible for attacks against them are held accountable.

It said the matter was particularly important as Kenya moves towards the 2027 General Election.

The Standard Group has also called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, Law Society of Kenya, Media Council of Kenya and Committee to Protect Journalists to push for answers.