Jimmy Wanjigi Condemns Abduction of Standard Group Editor Alex Kiprotich, Links Incident to Police Uniform Tender Expose
In a strongly worded statement, Wanjigi expressed solidarity with the journalist and urged him to remain steadfast despite the ordeal.
Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
Kenyan businessman and politician Jimmy Wanjigi has condemned the abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich, describing it as a direct attack on press freedom and democracy.
Wanjigi publicly spoke out against the Tuesday night incident along the Gilgil-Nakuru highway, where armed men allegedly abducted Kiprotich while he was traveling to Nakuru, before dumping him hours later near Masinga Dam.
In a strongly worded statement, Wanjigi expressed solidarity with the journalist and urged him to remain steadfast despite the ordeal.
“Standard Group’s Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich’s abduction on Tuesday night must be condemned! It was an attack on Alex, an attack on press freedom, an attack on democracy and an attack on all of us! Maybe the police uniform tender exposure has unsettled some nerves? Alex take heart, fight on — Kenya is with you!” Wanjigi said.
Wanjigi linked the incident to Kiprotich’s recent reporting on a police uniform tender, suggesting that the expose may have rattled powerful interests within the security sector and provoked a response.
Kiprotich serves as Associate Editor at Standard Group, one of Kenya’s most established media houses with operations spanning print, broadcast and digital platforms. His reporting has in recent months focused on accountability within security agencies.
The editor was later found safe approximately nine hours after the abduction. According to reports, he was dumped roughly 10 metres from Masinga Dam at around 2 a.m., some 137 kilometres from Nairobi, after being driven for hours.
He sought shelter at a nearby household and was located by a Standard Group team led by Group Chief Executive Officer Chaacha Mwita at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Colleagues described him as physically safe but visibly shaken by the ordeal.
Kiprotich told colleagues he was seized by four masked men armed with AK-47 rifles who were travelling in a Subaru registered KDC-125E, a vehicle whose records indicate it belongs to the government.
The car was reportedly fitted with a siren, and at roadblocks encountered along the route, fellow officers waved it through without stopping it, raising serious questions about official involvement.
Wanjigi framed the incident not merely as a crime against one individual but as a broader threat to journalism and civil liberties in the country. He called on Kenyans to stand with the journalist and to resist attempts to intimidate the media.
At the time Wanjigi made his remarks, no official statement had been issued by the government or law enforcement agencies regarding the abduction.
The incident marks the second time Kiprotich has allegedly been targeted in recent months. On June 27, armed men travelling in a Toyota Probox reportedly attempted to seize him from his vehicle as he drove to work in Nakuru. He escaped after locking his car doors and driving away.
The Standard Group has said its investigations into the June incident traced the vehicle to the National Police Service’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, but no one has been held accountable.
Rights groups, political leaders including Fred Matiang’i, and media stakeholders have continued to condemn the incident, demanding a thorough, independent and transparent investigation and warning against the normalization of abductions targeting journalists.
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