An associate editor at Kenya’s Standard Group was abducted by armed men on Tuesday night and released several hours later, the company said on Wednesday.
Alex Kiprotich was taken from a car near Nakuru shortly before 9:20 p.m., Standard Group said in a statement. Dashcam video released by the company shows four masked, armed men getting out of a vehicle on a busy road, with screams coming from Kiprotich’s car.
He was later found safe near Masinga Dam, more than 200 km southeast of Nakuru. The company did not give details about his condition or how he was released.
Kiprotich appeared at a press conference at Standard Group’s Nairobi offices on Wednesday but did not speak. Chief Executive Chaacha Mwita told reporters the abductors had demanded that Kiprotich reveal the newspaper’s sources. Mwita added that this was the second attempt on Kiprotich this year, after a similar incident in June, and linked both to his work as a journalist.
The Committee to Protect Journalists called for a full investigation. Kenyan police said they had opened a case, but also accused the newspaper of trying to “undermine public confidence in the police” with its reporting.
The abduction adds to concerns about press freedom in Kenya. Dozens of government critics and activists have been reported missing or abducted since anti-government protests in June 2024. Human rights groups have accused state security agencies, an allegation officials deny. President William Ruto acknowledged in June that there had been cases of excessive conduct by security personnel.
The Standard has been openly critical of Ruto’s administration, accusing it of corruption and police brutality. Ruto has in turn accused the paper of running “extortionist propaganda headlines.” A spokesperson for Ruto did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Police said 262 misconduct cases involving officers are pending in court, and 42 officers have been convicted since a police oversight body was created.
