Armed men abduct Kenyan editor, employer suspects government

An associate editor for Kenya's largest news outlet, The Standard, was abducted by armed men on Tuesday night and released near a dam the following morning, his employer revealed. Alex Kiprotich was taken from his car near Nakuru city at approximately 9:20 PM. The Standard Group, critical of the government, expressed deep concern over the incident and pledged to seek full accountability.

The CEO of the group, Chaacha Mwita, stated that the abduction was a clear case of a targeted attack on a journalist performing his duties. A dashcam video showed a white vehicle stopping in front of Kiprotich's car on the Gilgil-Nakuru highway, where four men in civilian clothes, some carrying firearms and others baseball bats, took him away.

Kipritich was found safe, though traumatized, near Masinga Dam, over 200 kilometers southeast of the abduction scene, about nine hours later. The Standard Group's CEO emphasized that the circumstances of Kiprotich's abduction were deeply troubling and called for accountability. Doubts about the involvement of government agencies in similar abductions have grown amid widespread protests against the government led by President William Ruto in 2024.

Human rights groups have accused state agencies of responsibility, and the Standard Group echoed these suspicions. The editors' guild of Kenya expressed shock, outrage, and concern over the incident, calling it an escalation in the intimidation and targeting of journalists. Amnesty International Kenya urged for an independent investigation into the matter, highlighting serious concerns for media freedom in Kenya.