The Kenya Editors Guild has called for a thorough investigation into the reported abduction of The Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich.
In a statement on Wednesday, September 2, the Guild said it was concerned by what it described as a worrying pattern of attacks and intimidation targeting journalists in the course of their work.
Kiprotich was reportedly abducted on Tuesday night by armed men while travelling along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road. He was later found safe near Masinga Dam in the early hours of Wednesday.
The Guild wants authorities to establish what happened, who was behind the incident and whether the abduction was connected to an earlier attempt to intercept the journalist.
Additionally, the Editors Guild is seeking for inquiries to be conducted into an attempt by armed men who reportedly tried to bar Kiprotich from reaching his place of work in Nakuru on June 27.
As per the Guild, The Standard Group later managed to trace a Toyota Probox, which was said to have been used during the June incident, to the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau under the National Police Service. This matter needs to be investigated, according to the Guild.
The Guild says that any individual proven to have played any role in this should be made accountable irrespective of the position or organization they belong to.
Journalist Found Hours Later
Speaking during an interview, The Standard Group Editor-in-Chief, John Bundotich, revealed that newsroom got to know of Kiprotich’s abduction at around 9:20 p.m.
Bundotich said the newsroom received information at about 3 a.m. that Kiprotich had been found in a thicket near Masinga Dam. The team then went to the area and rescued him.
The circumstances surrounding how he ended up there remain subject to investigation.
Additional Issues Raised by the Guild
The Editors Guild also wants an investigation into the alleged assault on two Kisumu-based journalists working for Agence France-Presse (AFP), namely Fred Ooko and Brian Ongoro, during the coverage of a Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay Town.
According to the Guild, the two instances have created additional concerns about the safety of journalists in the field.
They say that whenever journalists are assaulted or threatened while doing their jobs, it affects the freedom of reporting and, consequently, the citizens’ right to access information.
The Guild cited Article 34 of the Constitution that safeguards freedom of the media and ensures that the State does not interfere with the activities of journalists and people engaged in dissemination of information.
The Guild has appealed to IPOA to monitor the two cases carefully and ensure that whoever is found guilty is charged.
The Guild says that the issues should be thoroughly and properly investigated and should not be allowed to fade away.