The Kenya Editors Guild President Zubeidah Kananu /HANDOUTThe Kenya Editors Guild has demanded that State agencies swiftly identify and prosecute those behind the reported abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich.
The guild said the incident represented a serious threat to media freedom and the public’s right to access information, warning that attacks on journalists undermine Kenya’s democratic institutions.
In a statement, President Zubeidah Kananu said the government must demonstrate its commitment to media freedom through concrete action and not mere statements.
“The government must ensure Kenya’s constitutional commitment to media freedom is upheld not merely in words, but in action,” Kananu said.
She described attacks on journalists as attacks on the public’s right to know and the country’s democratic system.
Kananu said the safety of journalists should not depend on
whether the government agrees with their reporting, insisting that journalists
must be allowed to carry out their work without fear of intimidation, assault
or abduction.
“A journalist's safety cannot depend on whether the government approves of his reporting. The safety of journalists is non-negotiable. The freedom of the media is non-negotiable. And the public's right to know is non-negotiable,” she said.
The guild said the alleged abduction of Kiprotich was particularly concerning because silencing a journalist has consequences beyond the individual victim.
“When a journalist is abducted, the victim is not the only one silenced. The entire public is silenced with him,” Kananu said.
The Editors’ Guild reminded the State of its constitutional responsibility to respect, protect and promote the rights of journalists, arguing that the Government could not claim to defend democracy while journalists were allegedly being targeted because of their work.
“The State has a constitutional duty to respect, protect and promote the rights of journalists. It cannot purport to defend democracy while those who report on the exercise of power are being hunted, assaulted or made to disappear,” she said.
Kiprotich was reported abducted along the Gilgil-Nakuru highway before being found safe in the early hours of Wednesday.
Standard Group Chief Executive Officer Chaacha Mwita said the journalist was located at around 6.30am near Masinga Dam after he was allegedly dumped by his captors.
According to the company, Kiprotich sought refuge with a nearby family, which took him in and cared for him before he was found by a Standard Group team led by Mwita.
The journalist was reported to be safe but shaken following the ordeal.
The Editors’ Guild has now called for the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to exercise its oversight mandate and ensure that investigations and any subsequent prosecution are handled with the seriousness demanded by the circumstances.
The guild demanded a swift, transparent and genuinely independent investigation into the reported abduction, including the circumstances surrounding an earlier incident on June 27.
