National Police Service refutes 'Killings Shock' headline, investigates journalist's alleged abduction
The National Police Service NPS has publicly rejected The Standard's front-page headline, "Killings Shock," published on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, calling it inflammatory and unsupported by evidence. The headline cited a police reform taskforce report attributing 3,985 deaths to police action since 2022. The NPS, through Director of Corporate Communication Muchiri Nyaga, stated the publication was a "deliberate attempt to sensationalise isolated incidents" and could damage national security. The NPS cited the Independent Policing Oversight Authority's IPOA Annual Report for 2024/2025, which shows 262 cases involving police officers pending in courts and 42 officers convicted since IPOA's establishment, as evidence of accountability efforts. In a separate but related development, the NPS confirmed it is investigating the alleged abduction of Standard Group associate editor Alex Kiprotich, who was reportedly abducted in Gilgil on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja ordered an immediate probe, deploying the NPS's Anti-Abduction Unit. The NPS condemned acts of kidnapping or intimidation against journalists, affirming press freedom as a constitutional right. A Nakuru-based Standard journalist, Julius Chepkwony, who reported Kiprotich missing, was summoned by Directorate of Criminal Investigations DCI officers. The Standard Group's legal team has refused to cooperate with authorities until reports related to a separate alleged abduction attempt
