Abducted Kenyan Journalist Found Safe Near Masinga Dam
Nairobi, 2 September 2026
Standard Group editor Alex Kiprotich has been found safe after a nine-hour abduction by armed men using a government vehicle, raising severe concerns over press freedom in Kenya.
The Abduction and Rescue Timeline
The abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich unfolded shortly before 21:20 on Monday, 31 August 2026, along the busy Gilgil-Nakuru highway [4]. Just moments before his phone went silent, Kiprotich managed to place a brief, frantic call to Tom Kipyegon, the Standard Group’s head of security, shouting that his vehicle was being hijacked [2]. The targeted nature of the incident was captured on video, which showed armed, masked men trailing and blocking the editor’s vehicle before forcibly dragging him out [4].
Interrogation and Allegations of State Involvement
Upon his rescue, Kiprotich revealed chilling details about his captors, whom he identified as police officers armed with AK-47 rifles [2]. The four masked men travelled in a Subaru bearing registration KDC 125E, a plate that records show belongs to a government vehicle [2]. The vehicle was equipped with a siren, and at several police roadblocks along the highway, the captors engaged with other officers on duty, who waved them through without inspection [2]. During the journey, some of the captors sought to ease Kiprotich’s anxiety by telling him not to worry because it was “mambo ya serikali”—a government matter [2].
A Pattern of Intimidation and Demands for Justice
This incident marks the second time Kiprotich has been targeted in recent months. On 27 June 2026, he narrowly escaped an abduction attempt in Nakuru when armed men in a Toyota Probox tried to intercept him as he drove to work [2][4]. Internal investigations by the Standard Group later traced that vehicle to the National Police Service’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, though no official action or accountability has been established since [2][4].