LSK gives DCI seven-day ultimatum to arrest Kiprotich abduction suspects

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the authorities to arrest and charge individuals implicated in the abduction of Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich.

They warned of legal action against senior security officials if no action is taken.

In a strongly worded statement during a press briefing at their offices in Nairobi on Friday, LSK President Charles Kanjama demanded that the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) publicly and formally respond to allegations that officers attached to DCI Headquarters were behind Kiprotich's abduction on September 1 near Gilgil Weighbridge.

The society expressed concern over what it termed a lack of substantial action by investigators, despite two months having elapsed since the journalist was allegedly abducted.

"We express our serious concern that substantial action has not been taken two months after the said abduction," the statement reads.

The investigation into the abduction of Kiprotich was initially dogged by delays, raising questions about the police's urgency in pursuing the perpetrators despite leads pointing to the possible suspects and vehicle used in the incident.

Lawyer Gordon Ogola previously accused investigators of dragging their feet, saying the family and colleagues had to push DCI to act more than 72 hours after the incident.

He questioned why investigations had not commenced earlier despite the availability of vehicle registration details and footage showing some of the suspected abductors.

The first visible forensic action came on Friday, September 4, when DCI officers dusted the vehicle Kiprotich and his driver, Geoffrey Kamau, had been travelling in, lifting fingerprints.

The two also recorded statements at the Rift Valley Regional DCI offices in Nakuru.

On Saturday, September 5, detectives, accompanied by Standard Group management and Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) officials, visited the Gilgil Weighbridge to reconstruct the ambush before proceeding to Ekalakala, near Masinga Dam, where Kiprotich had been abandoned.

The officers subsequently visited Standard Group headquarters along Mombasa Road, where they reviewed dashcam recordings and obtained certified copies to aid investigations.

But since then, no significant progress to bring the perpetrators to book has been made.

On Friday, LSK said it would not allow the matter to remain unresolved, insisting that those implicated must be brought to justice within seven days.

"We formally give notice that unless we see the suspects identified in the media arrested and charged in court within the next seven (7) days, LSK will take legal action to pursue command responsibility and accountability in accordance with the law," warned Kanjama.

The society's demand puts the DCI leadership under pressure to account for the alleged involvement of its officers in the incident and explain the apparent delay in investigations.

Outgoing SG Chief Executive Officer Chacha Mwita has welcomed an ultimatum by Law Society of Kenya(LSK) to the government.

He also decried lack of response from the government on what it has done concerning the incident, which saw Kiprotich on September 1 abducted at Gilgil weighbridge in Nakuru County late in the evening and later dumped in Masinga in Machakos County.

“I welcome the move by LSK, though it doesn’t give me closure because it’s a call from LSK and not a response from the government of Kenya authorities,” said Mwita.About four suspects were identified using the body camera on the vehicle that Kiprotich was travelling in.

“We have lives outside work that are completely distracted and messed up when something like this happens and it’s important that those people trusted with responsibility to secure our lives actually guarantee us that we are secure," Chacha added.

According to Mwita, the investigating agencies have not done enough almost two months later.

“It is not enough and my take is that the security agencies in this country are not genuine or honest; they are just playing games. I would like to see whether am here or not, the Inspector General of Police David Kanja coming here at Standard Group offices and formally apologise for two reasons; one, is that it is suspected that his officers are the ones who did the abduction,” said Mwita, who resigned last week. The CEO said, unfortunately, no update on investigation progress from the police or the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on the incident has reached his office two months later.

He said the company and Kiprotich’s lawyers have gone to court to seek orders to get full and comprehensive footage of the abduction at the weighbridge but they haven’t received it yet.