The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has given the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) seven days to arrest and charge the people who abducted Standard Group Associate Editor Alex Kiprotich, warning that it will go to court to pursue those in command if the deadline lapses.

LSK President Charles Kanjama issued the ultimatum on Friday in a wide-ranging statement to the media that also touched on election laws, police reforms and the composition of the Cabinet. The society said it was troubled that, two months after the incident, there had been little meaningful progress in the investigation.

Questions for the DCI

Kiprotich was seized by armed men near the Gilgil weighbridge on the night of September 1 while driving to Nakuru. Footage later released by the Standard Group appeared to show masked men trailing and blocking his car before dragging him out. He was found the following morning near Masinga Dam in Machakos County.

According to The Standard and Kahawatungu, the LSK now wants the Director of Criminal Investigations to respond publicly and formally to allegations that officers attached to DCI headquarters were involved in the abduction. The National Police Service has previously denied any role and said it had opened its own inquiry.

The society said that if no suspect is identified, arrested and charged within seven days, it will file legal proceedings seeking to hold senior officers accountable under the principle of command responsibility, which makes commanders answerable for wrongs committed by those under their control.

Probes so far

  • Kiprotich recorded a statement at the DCI South Rift offices in Nakuru days after his release
  • Detectives lifted fingerprints from the vehicle he was driving and revisited the area where he was dumped
  • The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) opened a parallel probe, reviewing CCTV and dashboard camera footage
  • Media associations, including the Kenya Editors Guild, have demanded an independent investigation that examines any command structures involved

No one has been charged over the incident.

Wider demands

In the same statement, the LSK said it would challenge a recent Court of Appeal decision that stripped the National Police Service Commission of its recruitment and management powers over uniformed officers, arguing the ruling weakens safeguards for police accountability.

The lawyers also said President William Ruto's Cabinet was now in breach of the Constitution after a court-ordered deadline to meet the two-thirds gender rule expired on October 28, and urged Attorney General Dorcas Oduor to advise the President to act.

On the 2027 elections, Kanjama said the LSK would go to court against any law that weakens public scrutiny of results. "Kenyans need an election they can verify," he said.

The DCI had not publicly responded to the ultimatum by Saturday morning.

Photos: The Standard. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.