MCK Raises Fresh Concerns After Abduction of Standard Group Editor

The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has raised fresh concerns over the safety of journalists following the reported abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich.

In a statement on Wednesday, September 2, MCK CEO David Omwoyo called for immediate investigations into the incident, urging the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to establish the circumstances surrounding Kiprotich’s abduction.

"The Media Council of Kenya wants the Inspector General (IG) of the Police Mr Douglas Kanja to undertake immediate, thorough and transparent investigations to establish the circumstances under which Standard Group Associate Editor, Alex Kiprotich was taken hostage last night along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road and later abandoned in Machakos," the statement read.

Omwoyo said the country's security agencies have intelligence capabilities that can be used to identify and arrest those behind crimes targeting journalists, but expressed concern that such cases have continued to receive inadequate action.

"The Council believes that the Country's security agencies have the capability to use their intelligence networks to investigate and arrest the perpetrators of the crimes against journalists but choose to ignore the matter. We hope the police will feel compelled to act on this flagrant disregard of human rights and press freedom," the statement added.

Omwoyo said MCK has previously documented several serious violations of press freedom and crimes against journalists and submitted the cases to the Inspector General of Police for investigation and prosecution, but without the desired results. 

He added that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has already instructed police to act on some of the cases within 30 days.

MCK said Kiprotich’s latest ordeal is the second incident in which the journalist has faced such circumstances, with no progress report from the relevant security agencies. The previous incident occurred in Nakuru County.

"This is the second time Kiprotich has gone through such an ordeal with no progress report on the investigations by relevant security organs in the country. The last such incident was in Nakuru County," the statement further read.

Omwoyo said MCK was particularly concerned that no arrests were made following the first attempted abduction despite the journalist reporting the incident to police.

He said continued impunity for crimes against journalists, coupled with rising violations of press freedom, remains a major concern and reflects a broader failure to investigate and prosecute offences targeting the media.

"The Council takes this matter seriously, especially because no one was arrested on the first attempted abduction despite the journalist reporting the matter to the police.

"The impunity for crimes against journalists in the country and increasing cases of press freedom violations is a major concern for the Council, which has repeatedly raised the matter with the relevant investigative agencies. The various reports, the Council has noted and recommended that one of the major challenges in the defence of independent journalism and access to information in Kenya is lack of investigations and prosecution of related violations," the statement noted.

MCK also expressed concern over what it described as the recent trolling and profiling of editors from different media organisations on social media, noting that editors at Nation Media Group were among those recently targeted.

"The Council is equally concerned over the recent trolling and profiling of several editors from different media houses on social media. The most recent case involved editors from the Nation Media Group.

"Media Freedom is guaranteed under Article 34 of the Constitution and should be guarded zealously by all. The State bears the responsibility of ensuring that journalists are not intimidated or harassed because attacks on the media are a threat to democracy," the statement concluded.

Kiprotich was abducted along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road.

In an update on Wednesday, September 2, the Standard Group confirmed that Kiprotich was found dumped near the Masinga Dam in Machakos County.

"Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich found safe, dumped near Masinga Dam nine hours after he was abducted along the Gilgil–Nakuru Road by armed men," the media outlet announced.

In a video circulating online, four men armed with rifles intercepted Kiprotich’s vehicle before forcibly taking him and putting him into their vehicle. 

In a statement, Standard Group CEO Chaacha Mwita said the journalist was travelling to Nakuru when he was abducted. 

"The Standard Group PLC confirms that shortly before 9:20 pm this evening, our Associate Editor, Alex Kiprotich, was abducted along the Gilgil-Nakuru road while travelling to Nakuru. We do not know where he is as we issue this statement," the statement read in part.

Mwita claimed that Kiprotich’s abduction is a move to try to silence the Standard Group. 

"We believe it may be linked to elements within the State seeking to intimidate this Group into silence," he added.