BREAKING: Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich Found Safe After Abduction, Dumped Near Masinga Dam
The Standard Group said the circumstances surrounding Kiprotich’s abduction remained deeply troubling and vowed to pursue accountability to its logical conclusion.
The Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich. Photo: Courtesy.
By Robert Mutasi
Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich has been found safe after he was abducted along the Gilgil–Nakuru highway on Tuesday night and later dumped near Masinga Dam in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
The Standard Group confirmed that Kiprotich was located at around 6:30 am by a team led by Group Chief Executive Officer Chaacha Mwita, following an overnight search operation.
According to the media house, after being dumped by his captors, Kiprotich sought refuge with a nearby family, who took him in and cared for him until the Standard Group team found him.
“He is safe, though understandably shaken by his ordeal,” the media house said in a statement issued on Wednesday morning.
The Standard Group expressed relief following the anxious overnight search for the senior editor and thanked all those who supported efforts to locate him and stood with his family.
“We thank everyone who mobilised through the night to search for him, prayed for him, and stood with this Group and his family through an anxious few hours – including the household that opened its doors to him,” the statement said.
Kiprotich’s safe recovery came just hours after the media house raised a public alarm over his disappearance, saying he had been abducted shortly before 9:20 pm on Tuesday while travelling to Nakuru.
The incident is the second time Kiprotich has allegedly been targeted in recent months. The Standard Group said that 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 Group said its own investigations into the June incident traced the vehicle to the National Police Service’s Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, but noted that no one had been held accountable to date.
The latest abduction has drawn sharp condemnation from political and human rights groups.
The Kenya African National Union (KANU) has condemned the alleged abduction and called for investigations into both incidents. KANU Secretary General George Wainaina said the abduction of a journalist was a direct assault on media freedom and the rule of law.
“We, therefore, demand a thorough, independent and transparent investigation into both the latest abduction and the earlier reported attempt at Menengai Police Station. Those found culpable must be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Wainaina said.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) also condemned Kiprotich’s abduction and called for the arrest and prosecution of officers allegedly involved in the incident, including their commanders.
KHRC said the incident came amid reports that 3,985 Kenyans had been killed by police over the past four years, an average of nearly three deaths each day. The rights body said the alleged abduction raised further concerns over enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in the country.
The Standard Group said the circumstances surrounding Kiprotich’s abduction remained deeply troubling and vowed to pursue accountability to its logical conclusion.
“The circumstances of Kiprotich’s abduction remain deeply troubling, and we will continue to press for full accountability,” the media house said.
“For now, we are simply grateful that Alex is safe,” it added.
The case adds to a growing list of concerns raised by media stakeholders over journalist safety in Kenya in 2026, with 19 enforced disappearances already recorded in the country this year according to rights groups.
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