NAIROBI, Kenya- The Standard Group has confirmed that its Associate Editor, Alex Kiprotich, was abducted on Tuesday night while travelling along the Gilgil-Nakuru road, raising fresh concerns over the safety of journalists in Kenya.
In a statement issued on September 1, 2026, the media company said Kiprotich was abducted shortly before 9:20pm while travelling to Nakuru and that his whereabouts remained unknown at the time of the statement.
The Standard Group has demanded the journalist’s immediate, safe and unconditional release, while calling for an independent investigation into the incident.
The latest incident comes just over two months after Kiprotich escaped what the media company described as an attempted abduction in Nakuru.
Second attack on Standard editor in two months
On June 27, armed men in a Toyota Probox reportedly attempted to seize Kiprotich as he drove to work in Nakuru.
The journalist escaped after locking his vehicle and driving away.
The June incident attracted national and international attention, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calling on Kenyan authorities to investigate the attempted abduction and hold those responsible to account.
The Standard Group says its own investigations into the June incident traced the vehicle used in the attempted abduction to the National Police Service’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CRIB).
The media house says no one has been held accountable over the incident.
The Standard’s earlier account of the June attack said four armed men travelling in a Toyota Probox attempted to abduct Kiprotich in Nakuru, days after President William Ruto publicly criticised the media organisation over its coverage of his administration.
CPJ separately reported that Kiprotich told the organisation he had been intercepted by a vehicle and that armed men in plain clothes attempted to get into his car.
CPJ called for an investigation, noting the incident occurred shortly after Ruto’s criticism of The Standard Group.
Standard demands answers
Following Tuesday night’s reported abduction, Standard Group Chief Executive Officer Chaacha Mwita said the company was holding the State responsible for Kiprotich’s safety while he remained missing.
The media company said the latest incident bore similarities to the June attack and raised concerns that Kiprotich may have been targeted because of his journalistic work.
“We do not believe this is a coincidence,” the company said, adding that Kiprotich had been at the forefront of its editorial coverage, including reporting that scrutinised the conduct of the State.
The Standard Group further said that if the incident was linked to state actors seeking to intimidate the media, it would amount to an attack on constitutional protections for freedom of expression and the media.
However, the allegations of state involvement in Tuesday night’s incident have not been independently established.
Calls for investigation
The Standard Group has demanded a prompt, transparent and independent investigation into Kiprotich’s reported abduction and the June 27 incident.
It has also called for visible guarantees for the protection of journalists, invoking Articles 33 and 34 of the Constitution, which protect freedom of expression and freedom of the media.
The company urged the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Media Council of Kenya and Committee to Protect Journalists to join calls for answers and accountability.
The renewed attack comes at a sensitive time for Kenya’s media environment, with journalists and human rights organisations continuing to raise concerns about threats, arrests and alleged abductions of critics and media workers.
CPJ previously warned that the attempted seizure of Kiprotich reflected growing dangers facing journalists in Kenya and urged authorities to respect the media’s democratic role.
The Standard Group said it would continue updating the public as more information becomes available and vowed not to allow the matter to disappear without answers.
