Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich has been found safe, nearly nine hours after he was abducted by armed men along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road on Tuesday night, September 1.
In an update on Wednesday, September 2, the media house confirmed that Kiprotich was discovered dumped near the Masinga Dam in Machakos County.
A video circulating online showed four armed men intercepting Kiprotich’s vehicle before forcibly removing him and bundling him into their car.
Standard Group media house. Photo: Courtesy.
Standard Group CEO Chaacha Mwita had earlier confirmed that the editor was travelling to Nakuru when the incident occurred shortly before 9:20 pm, and the company was at the time unaware of his whereabouts.
Mwita revealed that this was the second time Kiprotich had been targeted by armed men, noting that on June 27, 2026, individuals in a Toyota Probox—a vehicle model repeatedly linked to enforced disappearances of government critics in Kenya—had attempted to seize him as he drove to work in Nakuru.
On that occasion, Kiprotich managed to escape by locking his car doors and driving off.
The Standard Group CEO expressed concern that the abduction was an attempt to intimidate the media house into silence, suggesting that elements within the State may be behind the incident.
Kiprotich’s abduction sparked widespread outrage on social media, with Kenyans and leaders demanding his immediate release.
