- Larry Madowo aired an exposé on CNN highlighting the post-election violence that occurred in Tanzania during their recent polls
- He took to Facebook to share that he has been facing allegations of being paid to tarnish the country’s image
- Larry addressed the claims that his reporting was compromised, urging the Tanzanian government to refute his reporting rather than mislead the public
CNN international correspondent Larry Madowo has been trending in East Africa after one of his exposé reports went viral.
Source: Facebook
Larry recently reported on post-election violence in Tanzania, which allegedly resulted in a massive loss of life, with the police being blamed for using excessive force.
Some of the footage he shared captured innocent bystanders struck by bullets, while other clips appeared to show mass graves, details that sparked heated debate online.
Why did Larry Madowo cover the Tanzanian protests?
Following the airing of his report, Larry quickly became a polarising figure in Tanzania.
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Supporters praised his reporting, some even updating their profile pictures to his photo as a sign of gratitude.
However, critics directed hate comments at him and, in some cases, attempted to scam people using his photos.
The latest controversy arose when Larry was accused of being paid to expose the Tanzanian government.
In response, he shared a video on his social media platforms, firmly rejecting the allegations.
“I have not been paid by anyone to tarnish the image of any country; do not be lied to. Bongo (Tanzania) has been unable to refute our report, so they decided to attack me and spread lies about my career. But it is okay, because that is not the first time, I am used to it. Instead of verifying the reports we made, you are insulting me and trying to mislead people,” Larry said.
The veteran journalist added that false claims suggesting he received cash from other parties to run his story were entirely untrue.
He also dismissed an AI-generated photo circulating online that purportedly showed him in a meeting to cement the claims against him.
“It is not true. Let’s stay vigilant,” Larry noted.
Watch the video below:
Netizens react to Larry Madowo’s post
The video sparked a wave of reactions online with netizens sharing different opinions.
Here are some of their comments:
Joyce Oluoch:
“You don’t have to justify anything Larry Madowo. That has always been the norm even here in Kenya during the Adani saga and JKIA, so let it not affect you. Let them bring tangible evidence disputing what you reported then we start from there.”
Selemani Abdalah:
“I honestly don’t like to write about the bad because you don’t see the good?”
Mçhàfüzî Mbàyæ:
“The relationship between fish and water makes me believe that betrayal is real when I see water participating in cooking fish.”
Vedastus OG Joseph:
“Wewe mlezi wetu unatulea vizuri sana baba karibu tanzania tukujengee sanamu.”
Ibrahim Mohd Dosho:
“Piga kazi bro we need more journalist like you Kwa hizi serikali.”
Source: Facebook
What did the Tanzanian govt say about Larry’s expose?
In related news, the Tanzanian government refuted claims that it had blocked international journalists during the October elections and the subsequent unrest.
Government spokesperson Gerson Msigwa claimed that Larry did not request their response while producing his documentary, which focused on alleged atrocities against civilians.
According to CNN, they relied on crowdsourced footage and satellite images to report what appeared to be a massacre carried out by the police.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
