Unit behind Standard Group Editor abduction linked to Cabinet Secretary
Unit behind Standard Group Editor abduction linked to Cabinet Secretary
The unit behind the alleged abduction of the Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich has been linked to a sitting Cabinet Secretary and is said to be receiving orders directly from the CS.
According to police sources, the unit, which, during the harrowing scene on Tuesday night, had four individuals, is allegedly part of an operation linked to a Cabinet Secretary’s office.
Four armed men are said to have trailed Kiprotich from Standard Media Group offices along Mombasa Road in Nairobi before intercepting his car near the Gilgil Way Bridge.
Speaking after his abduction, Kiprotich said his abductors asked about sources behind The Standard newspaper’s stories that have painted the administration in a bad light.
According to KTN, the abductors also enquired about visitors to KANU party leader Gideon Moi’s home and what has been discussed, raising questions over political interference.
However, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, in a statement from National Police Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga, denied police involvement in the incident.
In a statement, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua also made similar allegations, claiming information reaching him indicates the unit has about 60 officers and receives orders from a CS and a powerful Principal Secretary.
“That investigation, like all the others you have ordered, will go nowhere because it was done by police officers outside your command,” Gachagua said.
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This comes as questions about the ownership of the vehicle used in the alleged abduction emerge. A search of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) portal reveals the vehicle registration number KDG**** is recorded as a Honda Fit.
The Honda Fit was registered in December 2021, raising questions over the vehicle’s identity, which was later revealed to be a private owner whose name we have withheld for legal reasons.
As of the time of the publication of this story, the Cabinet has not issued a statement regarding the CS’s vehicle tied to the brazen abduction of the editor.
However, in response, Kanja said police were aware of the reported abduction and had since ordered the Anti-Abduction Squad to commence the investigation, establishing what happened, including identifying the heavily armed men involved.
Kiprotich was ambushed by four armed, masked men near Gilgil on September 1, dragged into a car after a 120-kilometre chase, and interrogated for nine hours about the paper’s investigative coverage.
He was later dumped near Masinga Dam before dawn on September 2 and walked to a nearby homestead, where he sought help. A rescue team led by CEO Chaacha Mwita found him at around 6:30am, shaken but safe.
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