The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has called on Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to launch immediate, thorough and transparent investigations into the alleged abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich.
Kiprotich was allegedly abducted on Tuesday night along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road before being abandoned in Machakos County.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, MCK Chief Executive Officer and Secretary David Omwoyo said the Council wants police to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify those responsible.
Video footage recorded during the incident shows armed individuals blocking Kiprotich’s vehicle and ordering the occupants to lower the windows and get out.
The journalist can be heard sounding fearful and distressed during the confrontation.
Omwoyo said the Council believes security agencies have the intelligence and investigative capacity to identify and arrest those behind crimes targeting journalists.
He, however, accused the agencies of failing to act on previous cases involving violations of press freedom and attacks against journalists.
“We hope the police will feel compelled to act on this flagrant disregard of human rights and press freedom,” Omwoyo said.
He added that the Council had monitored and documented several cases of press freedom violations and crimes against journalists and presented them to the Inspector General of Police for investigation and prosecution, but had not received satisfactory progress.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has already directed police to act on several cases forwarded to the Inspector General within 30 days, according to the MCK.
The Council said Tuesday night’s incident was the second time Kiprotich had reportedly gone through a similar ordeal.
MCK said the previous incident occurred in Nakuru County and that there had been no progress report on the investigations from the relevant security agencies.
“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,” Omwoyo said.
He said the continued lack of accountability for crimes against journalists and the rising cases of press freedom violations remained a major concern.
The Council said it had repeatedly raised the issue with investigative agencies and identified the lack of investigations and prosecutions as one of the major challenges facing independent journalism and access to information in Kenya.
The Council also expressed concern over what it described as increased trolling and profiling of editors from different media houses on social media platforms.
Omwoyo said editors from Nation Media Group were among those recently targeted.
“Media freedom is guaranteed under Article 34 of the Constitution and should be guarded zealously by all,” he said.
“The State bears the responsibility of ensuring that journalists are not intimidated or harassed because attacks on the media are a threat to democracy.”
Kiprotich was later found alive in a thicket in the Masinga area of Machakos County, according to police and witnesses.
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