The Kenya Editors Guild has condemned the reported abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich as an assault on media freedom, freedom of expression and Kenya’s constitutional democracy.
The Standard Group confirmed that Kiprotich was seized shortly before 9:20 pm on Tuesday, 1 September, along the Gilgil–Nakuru road while travelling to Nakuru. The Guild said it was shocked, outraged and deeply perturbed by the incident, which it described as a disturbing escalation in the targeting of journalists.
Second attack in two months
The circumstances are especially alarming because this is the second reported attempt to seize or harm Kiprotich in barely two months. On 27 June 2026, armed men travelling in a Toyota Probox reportedly tried to intercept him as he drove to work in Nakuru. He escaped by locking his vehicle and fleeing.
That earlier incident occurred only days after President William Ruto publicly criticised The Standard Group over its coverage. Investigations by the media house later reportedly traced the vehicle to the National Police Service’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau.
The Guild said these are grave allegations that cannot be dismissed or buried in silence. The latest attack also came soon after the reported assault of Agence France-Presse journalists Fred Ooko and Brian Ongoro while covering a Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay.
Taken together, the incidents paint a picture of journalists being beaten, pursued, threatened and abducted while doing their jobs, the Guild said.
Guild lists four demands
Article 34(2) of the Constitution prohibits the State from interfering with anyone engaged in the production or circulation of information and from penalising anyone for an opinion or the content of a publication.
The Kenya Editors Guild therefore demanded: a swift, transparent and independent investigation into the abduction and the 27 June incident; a full probe into the reported link between the June vehicle and the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau; identification and prosecution of all those responsible, regardless of rank; and a credible investigation into the AFP journalists’ assault, with IPOA exercising its oversight mandate.
The State has a duty to protect journalists and cannot claim to defend democracy while those who report on power are hunted or made to disappear, said Guild President Zubeidah Kananu. An attack on a journalist silences the public’s right to know.
