Over the past few days, several individuals have been linked to the abduction of Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi’s son Leslie following his publicized police statement. Those who have come under increased public scrutiny include Said Kiprotich, the head of Kenya’s Anti-Terrorism Police Unit.
Kiprotich was one of the officers Muturi tried to make contact with in an effort to locate his son, after receiving intelligence from an ally attached to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) who alleged Leslie was being held by the security agency.
Muturi made the damning allegations following a summon by the police to detail the happenings of the fateful day at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Tuesday, January 15.
Said has had an extensive career in the security sector, rising in rank to serve in several leadership roles. His previous designation was as head of the defunct Flying Squad, a controversial security unit infamous for its ruthless approach in combating crime, using tactics such as extrajudicial killings, violent arrests, and intimidation.
Born and raised in California, Eastleigh, Kiprotich was appointed the new director of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) in 2023, taking over from Johnstone Kola who went on his retirement after serving for several years.
Before Flying Squad, Said was the director of operations at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.
Previously, Kiprotich had served as director of operations at the Nairobi Regional Command and was hence promoted to his role at the DCI, where he continued to serve in the same capacity.
Before that, he had served as the County Commander for Taita Taveta and with the Special Crimes Prevention Unit.
Currently, the Anti-Terror Police Unit under his leadership, coordinates efforts with the National Police Service and other security agencies to mitigate and investigate terrorism-related cases in the country.
In 2024, Kiprotich received a delegation of security officials from the United States to discuss collaboration efforts in the fight against terror. Staff Delegates led by Ms. Kelly Dixon Chambers, the Staff Director of the House Rules Committee, matters regarding security policy development were discussed.
Following the visit, Kiprotich oversaw the signing of several agreements including partnerships in intelligence gathering and sharing, capacity building, the donation of modern crime-fighting equipment, and the development of resource centers.
“My unit had benefitted immensely courtesy of various sponsored programs by the United States, especially the Mike Solis-led Anti-Terrorism Assistance program,” he stated during the courtesy call.
He also mentioned several achievements of the ATPU, including convictions of terror suspects, which were made possible through close collaboration and evidence analysis between his unit and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
