The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has condemned the abduction of Standard Media Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich, demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of police officers and their commanders allegedly involved in the incident.
KHRC said Kiprotich was found alive and dumped near Masinga Dam, about nine hours after he was abducted along the Gilgil-Nakuru Highway.
In a statement on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the rights watchdog described the incident as an unlawful and brutal abduction and said those responsible must be held accountable.
The commission said a video showing the abduction had brought to public attention what it described as clandestine policing tactics under President William Ruto’s administration.
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“KHRC unequivocally condemns the unlawful and brutal abduction of Alex Kiprotich, associate editor at the Standard Media Group,” the organisation said.
The commission further alleged that the officers involved in the incident operated in a manner similar to squads previously accused of involvement in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings.
According to KHRC, witnesses in previous cases have described heavily armed individuals wearing balaclavas, sometimes operating without police uniforms and using Subaru vehicles, including vehicles allegedly fitted with fake number plates.
The rights organisation said such conduct contravenes a court order requiring law enforcement officers to be easily identifiable during operations.
KHRC calls for accountability
KHRC called on the authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding Kiprotich’s abduction and ensure that all officers and commanders found culpable face criminal prosecution.
The commission also linked the incident to broader concerns over alleged police killings and enforced disappearances during the Ruto administration.
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“The chilling video of Kiprotich’s abduction has placed William Ruto’s regime’s brutal and clandestine policing tactics in full public view. For years, victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings have described to the KHRC a killer squad operating with a similar brazenness and disregard for the law as those who abducted Kiprotich.”
It cited media reports claiming that 3,985 Kenyans were killed by police over the President’s four years in office, an average of nearly three people every day.
KHRC accused the government of failing to fulfil its responsibility to protect Kenyans and called on President Ruto to take responsibility for ending enforced disappearances and alleged extrajudicial killings.
The condemnation comes as questions continue to surround Kiprotich’s abduction and subsequent release.
His reported recovery alive has provided relief to his family, colleagues and the wider media fraternity, but the circumstances of his disappearance and the identities of those responsible remain central to demands for an investigation.
The incident has also renewed debate over the safety of journalists and concerns about alleged abuse of state security agencies in Kenya.
