Larry Madowo is a CNN International Correspondent and host of the African Voices Changemakers and Playmakers series. He is an accomplished broadcaster, writer, and anchor whose range includes business, technology, current affairs, politics, and popular culture. He has been featured on major global media outlets including CNN, BBC, Washington Post, and Guardian.
Larry, 36, has been lauded as a hero in the just concluded Finance Bill demonstrations for being an unbiased voice and highlighting excellence in international journalism. The Kenyan journalist has been at the forefront of civic issues in his home country, Kenya, helping spread the word on the infamous Finance Bill proposals.
Here are several things you should know about him:
1. Early Education Life
Madowo grew up in Siaya, Kisumu, and Nairobi. He attended Usingo and Karapul Primary schools and later St Gabriel’s Seminary for his O-levels.
He wanted to train as a Catholic priest but changed his mind after he finished high school and opted for broadcast journalism. In 2006, Madowo enrolled for a Communication Degree at Daystar University in Nairobi.
2. His Career Path
Madowo started his career in Nairobi as a KTN trainee reporter. He stayed on and became a household name and after 3 years, he left KTN for NTV.
He then moved to a Business Anchor at NTV where he anchored and reported business and financial news.
In 2012, he joined the South African-based CNBC-Africa. He only lasted 8 months there before returning to NTV. He hosted The Larry Madowo Show on Nation FM and wrote a weekly column (Front Row) in the Daily Nation newspaper every week. Also, he hosted a popular Friday night show called #TheTrend on NTV Kenya from December 2012 until 30 June 2017.
In April 2018, he resigned from NTV and joined BBC. He was previously a North American Correspondent and also anchored breaking news. At BBC News Africa he was a Business Editor, leading a team of business journalists based in Nairobi, London, Lagos, Dakar, and Johannesburg. He has appeared across BBC channels and blogs as a reporter or commentator on African business.
3. Journalism Recognition
– He was a Knight-Bagehot Fellow in 2019-20 Economics and Business Journalism at Colombia University in New York. Madowo graduated from Columbia with a Master of Arts in Business and Economics Journalism on 20 May 2020.
– His Master’s thesis on African e-commerce pioneer Jumia’s tumultuous first year on the New York Stock Exchange won the Philip Greer Scholarship Award for Financial Writing.
– Madowo was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in March 2020.
– He was nominated as a One Young World Journalist of the Year in June 2020.
– He has twice been named among the 100 Most Influential Africans by New African magazine.
– Madowo was again cited as one of the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2020.
4. Larry Madowo Social Media Influence
Madowo is very active on social media. He has a combined following of over 5M people across Facebook (1.5M), X (2.6M), website and Instagram (1.6M).
Are Larry Madowo and Edith Kimani Dating?
5. Moderator and Interviewer
Madowo doubles as a regular moderator and speaker at media, technology, and business conferences around the world.
He has interviewed some of the world’s most prominent people including presidents, world-famous artists, global CEOs, and Sophia the Robot.
