Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich has been found safe after being reportedly abducted by armed men along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road on Tuesday night, September 1, 2026.
Kiprotich was reportedly taken shortly before 9:20 p.m. while travelling towards Nakuru, according to a statement issued by the Standard Group.
The media organisation initially said it did not know where the senior journalist had been taken and demanded his immediate and unconditional release.
Alex Kiprotich Found Near Masinga Dam
The Standard Group later confirmed that Kiprotich had been found safe in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to The Standard, the editor was found around 2 a.m., approximately nine hours after he was reportedly taken from the Gilgil-Nakuru Road.
He had been dumped near Masinga Dam and later sought refuge at a nearby household. A Standard Group team led by Chief Executive Officer Chaacha Mwita eventually located him at around 6:30 a.m.
The development brought an end to an anxious overnight search for the journalist.
How the Reported Abduction Happened
Reports indicate that Kiprotich was travelling towards Nakuru when armed men allegedly intercepted his vehicle.
Footage circulating in connection with the incident reportedly shows several armed men stopping the vehicle and forcing Kiprotich out.
According to reports, the journalist could be heard questioning the men about why he was being taken before being forced into another vehicle.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain a major concern, particularly because of the identity of the alleged abductors and questions surrounding their motive.
Standard Group Demands Investigation
Following the incident, the Standard Group condemned what it described as an abduction of one of its senior editors.
The company demanded Kiprotich’s safe and unconditional release while also calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The media organisation also raised concerns about the safety of journalists working in Kenya.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission has since called for officers it believes were responsible for the incident to be arrested and prosecuted.
Kiprotich Had Previously Been Targeted
The latest incident has raised further questions because Kiprotich was reportedly targeted in another incident in June 2026.
According to the Standard Group, armed men travelling in a Toyota Probox allegedly attempted to seize him from his vehicle on June 27 while he was driving to work in Nakuru.
Kiprotich reportedly managed to escape by locking his vehicle doors and driving away.
The Standard Group said the latest incident was therefore the second time in a matter of months that its Associate Editor had allegedly been targeted.
Renewed Concerns Over Journalists’ Safety
Kiprotich’s reported abduction has renewed debate about the safety of journalists in Kenya.
Media organisations and human rights groups have continued to call for journalists to be allowed to perform their duties without intimidation, threats or violence.
The incident is also likely to attract further scrutiny because Kiprotich was reportedly taken from a major highway before later being found more than 200 kilometres away in the Masinga area.
Questions are now expected to focus on who took the journalist, why he was targeted and whether anyone will be held accountable.
What Happens Next?
Although Kiprotich has been found safe, the circumstances surrounding his disappearance remain unresolved.
Authorities will face pressure to establish:
- Who intercepted Kiprotich’s vehicle
- Who was responsible for taking him
- Where he was held during the nine-hour ordeal
- Why he was targeted
- Whether the incident was connected to the earlier June attempt
- Whether anyone will face criminal charges
The Standard Group has called for investigations into both incidents involving Kiprotich.
For now, the immediate concern has shifted from locating the missing journalist to establishing what happened to him and ensuring that those responsible are identified.
Kiprotich’s safe recovery has brought relief to colleagues, family and members of the media fraternity, but the unanswered questions surrounding the incident remain significant.
