Owalo condemns abduction of Standard editor, warns attacks on media threaten Kenya’s democracy

2027 presidential aspirant Eliud Owalo has condemned the abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich, warning that growing attacks, intimidation and harassment of journalists risk undermining Kenya’s constitutional democracy.

Owalo said the incident should not be viewed solely as an attack against an individual journalist, but as part of a wider concern over the safety of journalists and the protection of media freedom in Kenya.

“A journalist should never have to choose between doing their job and protecting their life,” Owalo said in a statement on Wednesday.

He argued that media freedom was not a privilege extended by those holding political power but a constitutional right protected under Article 34 of the Constitution.

“A government that respects democracy must also respect the journalists who scrutinise it. Media scrutiny is not hostility; it is democracy at work,” he said.

Owalo said journalists and editors must be allowed to investigate issues of public interest, question political leaders and hold public institutions accountable without fear of intimidation, harassment, abduction or violence.

He warned that attacks against journalists ultimately affect the public because an intimidated media is less able to scrutinise those exercising public authority.

“When journalists become afraid to ask difficult questions, citizens lose their ability to demand difficult answers from those in power,” Owalo said.

The presidential aspirant called on the National Police Service and Directorate of Criminal Investigations to conclusively investigate Kiprotich’s abduction and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

He said failure to investigate and prosecute attacks on journalists could entrench a culture of impunity, particularly as the country heads towards the 2027 General Election.

“Those of us seeking the privilege of leading this country must be prepared to defend media freedom even when the media criticises us. That is the true test of our commitment to democracy,” Owalo said.

Media organisations demand answers

Owalo's intervention adds to mounting condemnation from media organisations following Kiprotich's abduction along the Gilgil-Nakuru Road on Tuesday night.

Kiprotich was found safe in the Masinga area of Machakos County early Wednesday, several hours after armed men reportedly seized him while he was travelling to Nakuru. Police said they were investigating the circumstances and the motive had not been established.

The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) called on Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to order an immediate, thorough and transparent investigation.

MCK CEO, David Omwoyo

The Council said the incident was particularly concerning because Kiprotich had reportedly faced another attempted abduction in June, for which no arrests had been made.

MCK also raised concern over what it described as increasing cases of press freedom violations and impunity for crimes against journalists, arguing that failure to investigate and prosecute such cases was becoming a significant challenge to independent journalism in Kenya.

The Council further cited the recent trolling and profiling of editors on social media and stressed that Article 34 guarantees media freedom.

“The State bears the responsibility of ensuring that journalists are not intimidated or harassed because attacks on the media are a threat to democracy,” MCK said.

The Kenya Editors Guild (KEG) similarly described Kiprotich's abduction as part of a disturbing escalation in the intimidation and targeting of journalists.

Kenya Editors Guild President Zubeidah Kananu

The Guild said an attack on a journalist went beyond the individual involved, describing such incidents as an assault on media freedom, freedom of expression, the public's right to know and constitutional democracy.

KEG President Zubeidah Kananu called for a swift, transparent and independent investigation into the incident and demanded that those responsible be identified and prosecuted regardless of their position or institutional affiliation.

“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,” the Guild said.

The Media Owners Association (MOA) also condemned the abduction, with chairperson Agnes Kalekye saying no journalist should be abducted, threatened or interfered with for carrying out their work.

The association called for a swift, independent and transparent investigation and institutional guarantees for the safety of media practitioners.

The condemnation has extended beyond the media fraternity, with lawyers and other public figures calling for accountability and an independent investigation into the incident.

Kiprotich's case has consequently shifted attention beyond the circumstances of his abduction to the broader question of whether Kenya is doing enough to protect journalists and preserve the constitutional space within which independent media operates.

For Owalo, protecting that space must remain a responsibility of any government, regardless of how uncomfortable media scrutiny becomes.

“An independent media is not an enemy of Government. It is an essential pillar of a free, accountable and democratic Republic,” he said.