On Thursday, August 8, 2024, CNN International Correspondent Larry Madowo experienced a chilling and dangerous encounter while reporting from the heart of the protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
As he covered the escalating demonstrations, Madowo was targeted directly by a police officer who fired tear gas canisters at him from atop a pickup truck at the intersection of Wabera Street and Kenyatta Avenue.
In a harrowing moment captured on video and later broadcast on CNN, Madowo’s voice is filled with shock and pain as he exclaims;
“Ah… that was aimed directly at me. He’s aiming directly at me. Why are you shooting at me?” A canister narrowly missed his head, underscoring the immediate danger he faced.
The violence against journalists during these protests did not stop with Madowo. Cecilia Ngunjiri, another journalist covering the Nane Nane protests, is now recovering from injuries inflicted by police officers.
Additionally, Citizen TV’s political reporter Stephen Letoo choked on tear gas while documenting the chaos in Nairobi’s CBD, his emotions visibly strained as he captured the tumultuous scenes.
These attacks on journalists have become alarmingly frequent, highlighting the severe risks faced by media professionals in volatile environments.
Despite a nationwide protest by journalists last month demanding an end to such victimization, the situation appears to have deteriorated further, emphasizing the ongoing peril for those committed to reporting the truth.
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