Fresh clues emerge in Alex Kiprotich abduction as forensics begin

Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich at the Standard Group Center on September 02, 2026 after he was abducted along the Gilgil–Nakuru Road by armed men alongside his driver on August 01, 2026. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Five days after the abduction of The Standard Group Associate Editor, Alex Kiprotich, pressure is mounting on the National Police Service (NPS) to arrest the suspects.

On Friday, September 4, two days after the incident, the forensic department of the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) collected fingerprints from the vehicle that Kiprotich and his colleague, Geoffrey Kamau, were driving at the time.

Both individuals provided statements at the Rift Valley Regional Directorate of Criminal Investigation offices in Nakuru, following pressure from The Standard Group, the media, and human rights organisations.

 Julius Chepkwony, a reporter with The Standard, who reported the incident at Gilgil Police Station on the night of the kidnapping, also gave his statement.

A team of senior Standard Group management, accompanied by DCI forensic officers and officials from the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), visited the kidnapping scene in Gilgil and later proceeded to Machakos County, where Kiprotich was abandoned near Masinga Dam.

The DCI forensic team began processing the evidence three days after the incident.

Linus Ogolla, a forensic expert, explained that it would have been crucial for investigators to lift fingerprints from the vehicle and analyse the scene immediately following the incident.

"The timeline matters. If the vehicle or scene is not secured, it is likely to be contaminated. Therefore, it will be difficult to place the suspects at the scene,” he told The Sunday Standard.

Ogolla added that identifying the culprits could take longer, depending on the fingerprint analysis conducted at the Crime Registration Office or the Office of the Registration of Persons.

"Lifting fingerprints from the car or scene of the crime is not a difficult task if you have qualified personnel. However, analysing the fingerprints can take time,” he stated.

Ogolla noted that because the crime involved multiple scenes, the investigation would require additional time.

“The investigators and forensic experts have to visit the initial scene in Gilgil and the second where the victim was abandoned in Machakos County. They need to process all the scenes and analyse the evidence collected,” he explained.

He highlighted that the validity of the evidence depended largely on how well the evidence and scenes were maintained.

“If the car was washed, that indicates tampering with the evidence, which could be problematic. But if it was preserved properly, they might find fingerprints that could link the suspects to the scene,” he added.

DCI officers at the scene where Standard Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich was abandoned in Kiangeni, Ekalakala Village near Masinga Dam, Machakos County on September 5, 2026. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The visit to the Gilgil scene revealed disturbing details suggesting that the abduction was a carefully coordinated operation involving traffic officers stationed at the weighbridge.

These new revelations surrounding Kiprotich’s kidnapping raise questions about how the masked men executed their plan so close to Gilgil Police Station without immediate response.

The analysis of the scene indicates that traffic officers along the highway, especially at the Gilgil Weighbridge, may have deliberately disrupted traffic, possibly creating an escape route for the abductors.

Crime experts emphasise that the CCTV footage at the Weighbridge must be examined to determine exactly what transpired.

“The dashcam that recorded the incident will be analysed and processed by experts to establish the identity of the abductors,” said a retired DCI detective who chose to remain anonymous.

He stressed that the investigation into the journalist’s kidnapping must be overseen by the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) for comprehensive results.

“If police officers carried out the abduction, then IPOA must intervene and investigate. This matter should not be left solely to the DCI,” he added.

On September 2, the National Police Service (NPS) ordered investigations into Kiprotich’s kidnapping in Gilgil, Nakuru County.

The Inspector General of Police directed an immediate inquiry to establish what transpired, including the identity of heavily armed individuals seen ordering occupants out of their vehicle.